Machu Picchu is an incredible historical wonder located in the Andes mountains in Peru. In addition to its unparalleled architectural technique, Machu Picchu also displays the incredible scientific knowledge that the Incan culture had developed before it was destroyed. An abandoned dwelling for over 400 years, Machu Picchu was fortunately left unmolested by Spanish crusaders, offering a uniquely untouched look at the way of life of the advanced Incan civilization.
Machu Picchu was estimated to have been built around 1462, just prior to Christopher Columbus' trip to the Americas. It was constructed by skilled Incan masons at the height of the Incan Empire. Machu Picchu was estimated to have been abandoned shortly after it was built, as researchers estimate that the structures fell out of use less than 100 years after they were built. It is considered a likely conclusion that the people of Machu Picchu were largely killed off by a smallpox epidemic. Nearly half a millennium after its abandonment, the structures in Machu Picchu were finally rediscovered by scientists from the United States.
The buildings of Machu Picchu offer the viewer a unique point of access to historical masonry. Machu Picchu is an area of Peru that is highly susceptible to seismic activity. Thus, in constructing the main buildings of the settlement, the Incas used a construction technique called ashlar in which blocks of stone are cut perfectly to hold together without any concrete, mortar, or other substance to bind the blocks. The Incas considered buildings made with mortar and binding agents to be poorly constructed, so important buildings that were intended to be permanent were made with the ashlar technique. Because of the skilled and precise construction, the Incan people are widely considered to be one of the best building societies the world has ever seen.
The function of Machu Picchu is not known, but possible functions that scientists consider include theories that the structure was either a prison or a residence for the ruler of the Inca. Some scientists have also theorized that Machu Picchu was a defensive building, like a safe house to which the Inca people could retreat in case of attack.
Machu Picchu is a preserved area that was not found by the Spanish conquistadors, so it was not plundered or destroyed. It remained intact until a Yale scientist was led to the ruins by an 11-year-old boy nearly 400 years after it was estimated to have been abandoned by the Inca people.
Machu Picchu is located in the Vilcanota mountain range of Peru, nestled in the Andes Mountains of South America. Machu Picchu is located next to the Urubamba river, which flows through the valley of Machu Picchu mountain. Plants and animals are prevalent near Machy Picchu mountain, offering many plant food sources, as well as alpacas for milk, wool and meat.
