Machu Picchu


Machu Picchu, Peru, c. 1450–1540 (photo: Sarahh Scher, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

 Machu Picchu, Peru, c. 1450–1540 (photo: Sarahh Scher, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

 

 

For my first blog post of week 12, I decided to go with the beautiful Machu Picchu. Many people describe this estate as “mysterious” because of the location and the different architectural feats. These individuals aren’t wrong, but we do know a lot about Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu was built for the great Inkan Emperor, Pachacuti Inka Yupanqui, during the 15th century. This beautiful place over looks the Urubamba River which is now modern day Peru. This place was intended for the emperor and his family to host various events such as feasts, ceremonies, and to administer the affairs of the empire. This site was perfect for the empire because it provided sight lines to many of the other Andes mountain tops and valleys. This was important for the emperor because it gave him an advantage over his enemies because they could always prepare for an attack. According to Smart History, “The site contains housing for elites, retainers, and maintenance staff, religious shrines, fountains, and terraces, as well as carved rock outcrops, a signature element of Inka art.” 


The Observatory, seen from above, Machu Picchu, Peru, c. 1440-1540 (photo: Stephen Trever, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) 

The Observatory, seen from above, Machu Picchu, Peru, c. 1440-1540 (photo: Stephen Trever, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)



The architecture behind Machu Picchu is just jaw dropping. The houses and terraces were built out of individual stones that were carefully fitted together. Although the Inkas weren’t the first to use terraces like these, they mastered the agricultural side of them. These terraces helped prevent erosion by creating “walled steps’ down the side of the mountain. Within each step, crops could be planted. The main crop that was planted here was maize (corn). They also developed a water channeling system throughout Machu Picchu. Because water is so crucial for human life, they created a system made out of stone channels to collect rainfall and water from a spring nearby. They also were able to channel some of this water into fountains also made out of stone. The main buildings at this cite were obviously made out of stone but had a very interesting design to them. Almost all of these buildings had trapezoid shaped windows as well as trapezoid shaped doorways. There is no clear reason why the trapezoid was used for these specific architectural buildings, except for the fact that it was something that the Inkas were known for doing. 

 

 Stone channel drain, Machu Picchu, Peru, c. 1450–1540 (photo: Eduardo Zárate, CC BY-ND 2.0)

Stone channel drain, Machu Picchu, Peru, c. 1450–1540 (photo: Eduardo Zárate, CC BY-ND 2.0)

 

 

 

 

Smart History Link: https://smarthistory.org/machu-picchu/

 

Scher, Dr. Sarahh, and Dr. Sarahh Scher. “Machu Picchu.” Smarthistory, smarthistory.org/machu-picchu/. 

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 12, 2020 at 12:13 PM

    justin, great post i think after reading this post i want to visit in person. i think its interesting how they built there houses, very detailed. the trapezoid windows and doorways are another interesting feature of the place.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jake, of "Jake Writes a Blog"November 13, 2020 at 11:34 PM

    Justin, this was a very well detailed post. I really appreciate all the time you must have taken to pour into this post. I have always wanted to visit Machu Picchu and this just affirms that. The architecture certainly is, as you said, jaw dropping. The sheer importance that they kept in mind of their crops, specifically the corn, is impressive. I have always enjoyed the trapezoidal shape and will now probably continue to relate it to the Inkas.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Luna VelarNovember 14, 2020 at 2:32 PM

    Hey Justin!

    Your post was very detailed, I like how you incorporated the aesthetics and the application of the way Machu Picchu was built. I never thought about the sightlines that being so high up provided to the emperor but it does make sense, if this was a place for elites and royalty, then you'd want to make sure you can prepare for an attack at any moment. Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Bvigil7November 15, 2020 at 4:58 PM

    Justin, I did a post earlier in the semester about Machu Picchu myself, and I missed a couple points you described in your writing. Do you think that this should be a place of research rather than a place of tourism? Overall great post.

    ReplyDelete
  5. EmeraldNovember 16, 2020 at 6:32 AM

    Hello Justin! I really enjoyed your post on Machu Picchu, I found it really informative. I am amazed at how they built on such a spectacular mountain without helicopters or forklifts. It was just time and dedication. It would be amazing to see in person. Great Post!

    ReplyDelete

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