Machu Picchu
Dublin Core
Title
Machu Picchu
Subject
Incan Architectural Ruins
Description
The gorgeous ruins of Machu Picchu, sitting high above the world on a ridge in the Andes Mountains, serves as a lasting reminder from the Inca that they were here. Its creation has been dated to have been in the mid-15th century AD, placing its construction firmly within the reign of the ninth and perhaps greatest Sapa Inca, Pachacuti (Britannica). The exact purpose of the compound is a debated topic amongst many archeologists and historians. Explorer and “discoverer” of the ruins, Hiram Bingham, first believed it to be the lost Incan city of Vilcabamba (Britannica). Later disputed, some believed it to be a trading hub, a rest stop in between travels. Today, the most accepted explications Machu Picchu’s purpose is it having been a royal complex built for the Sapa Inca (D’Altroy, 32).
The simple existence of the complex’s ruins speaks volumes of two important things. The first is the organizational efficiency of the Inca under the rule of Pachacuti, the world reformer. Pachacuti’s campaigns are what turned the Kingdom of Cusco into the Incan Empire (Hirst). Yet his administration’s ability to build roads up and down the Andes, complexes like Cusco and Machu Picchu, and feed an estimated 6-14 million, all in an unforgiving Mountain climate is nothing short of extraordinary given their time and means. This is the core of understanding how the Inca was able to control such a massive landmass, they were simply organized better. The second thing it speaks volumes of is the sophistication of Incan architecture. Stones carved so perfectly, they fit together with no mortar. A monolith to the sun that casts no shadow during a solstice (D’Altroy, 33) This world heritage site is one of the most iconic relics left by such an interesting society.
The simple existence of the complex’s ruins speaks volumes of two important things. The first is the organizational efficiency of the Inca under the rule of Pachacuti, the world reformer. Pachacuti’s campaigns are what turned the Kingdom of Cusco into the Incan Empire (Hirst). Yet his administration’s ability to build roads up and down the Andes, complexes like Cusco and Machu Picchu, and feed an estimated 6-14 million, all in an unforgiving Mountain climate is nothing short of extraordinary given their time and means. This is the core of understanding how the Inca was able to control such a massive landmass, they were simply organized better. The second thing it speaks volumes of is the sophistication of Incan architecture. Stones carved so perfectly, they fit together with no mortar. A monolith to the sun that casts no shadow during a solstice (D’Altroy, 33) This world heritage site is one of the most iconic relics left by such an interesting society.
Creator
The Inca, Doti
Source
https://www.britannica.com/place/Machu-Picchu/images-videos
Publisher
Digital Vision/Getty Images
Date
2012
Contributor
Encyclopedia Brittanica
Rights
Free Image
Getty Images
Getty Images
Relation
-
Format
JPEG
Type
Image of World Heritage Site
Identifier
Brittanica
Coverage
13.1631° S, 72.5450° W
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
City, Photo
Physical Dimensions
315 x 250 mp
Collection
Citation
The Inca, Doti, “Machu Picchu,” ENGL 3460 -- Literature and Utopia, accessed September 17, 2024, https://mapping-nature.org/3460-fall2021/items/show/60.