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Machu Picchu

In 1911, an American explorer called Hiram Bingham made an exciting discovery. The discovery which made headlines around the world. Bingham had heard rumours of an ancient city hidden in the mountains, and had set off on a long quest, scaling high mountain peaks and trekking through wild jungles – but the ruins were so well hidden that not even the locals knew their location or how big they were. Finally, in July of 1911, a small boy acting as a guide led Bingham’s team up a mountain and onto a stone path which was overgrown and hidden in the jungle. At the top of this path they discovered the ancient Inca city, Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu is the best known of all the Inca sites. It was unknown until Bingham’s discovery, but has now been cleared and is visited by more people than any other site in South America.

No one really knows why Machu Picchu was built. It is set in a very remote location, and isn’t likely to have played a major role in the Inca empire. It is thought that construction of the city was ordered by Pachacuti Inca, as a royal retreat or as a religious estate, around the year 1460. Its existence is thought to have been kept secret. It is likely that the estate passed into the hands of Pachacuti’s most trusted family members after his death, and that Machu Picchu was occasionally visited by other Inca rulers up until the Spanish conquest. With the exception of those living in the city, very few other people would have known of is existence since travel within the Inca empire was restricted without official permission.

Widespread sickness (brought by the Europeans), civil war, and other turmoil caused by the Spanish conquest led to the city being abandoned and forgotten in the final days of the Inca empire.

When Manco Tupac (also called Manco Inca) began his war against the Spaniards in 1536, a few people may have remembered the city and it is possible that Machu Picchu was used as a hide-out for Manco’s army. He and his army operated from many mountain hide-outs in and around the area. But despite Manco’s brave efforts, the Spanish onslaught was too much, and Manco’s army was driven back into the jungle to another place called Vilcabamba. This was the last Inca stronghold.

Since then, the ancient city of Machu Picchu was left uninhabited and forgotten. Without people living there and maintaining the fields, the surrounding jungle closed in and covered over the city leaving it well hidden for the centuries to come.

The buildings and stonework of Machu Picchu were very well-made – indicating that the city probably had religious significance. Several graves have also been found nearby. The city’s structures include houses, temples, gardens, a royal palace, and ceremonial baths. It may once have supported about 2,000 people.

There are reports of other exciting discoveries in the jungles nearby – including a second city (called Maranpampa) which was discovered in 1986. Archaeologists are currently working on this city and believe that it may be even bigger than Machu Picchu.