The Top 10 Secrets of Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas
In July 1911, the Yale University Peruvian expedition, led by explorer Hiram Bingham, was met with an extraordinary sight: the ruins of the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu, unveiled in all their glory.
After reading 16th and 17th century chronicles that spoke of Inca cities never discovered by the Spanish conquistadors, after studying local legends, historical events and the physical characteristics of the area, the explorer Hiram Bingham laboriously managed to reach Machu Picchu. He proceed to work on deforestation, restoration and reconstruction of the city, resulting in the place look as we can see it today.
A century later, Machu Picchu still jealously keeps some secrets. Archaeologists hope to shed light on one of the most mysterious and important archaeological sites of our past, in an attempt to reconstruct the enigmatic past of our civilization.Following are 10 secrets of Machu Picchu.
1. Machu Picchu is not the lost city of the Incas
When Hiram Bingham discovers Machu Picchu, he was actually looking for another city, known as Vilcabamba, the hidden capital to which the Incas fled after the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in 1532.
Over time, Machu Picchu has become known as the legendary lost city of the Incas. Bingham spent much of his life claiming that Machu Picchu and Vilcabamba were the same city, a theory debunked only after his death in 1956.
Researchers believe Vilcabamba was built in the jungle about 50 kilometers west of Machu Picchu. Furthermore, recent research has revealed that Machu Picchu has never been completely forgotten. When Bingham arrived, found three peasant families living there permanently.
2. Highly earthquake-proof buildings
The stones of the most important buildings throughout the Inca Empire were erected without the use of mortar. The stones were cut so precisely, and wedged so tightly together, that not even a sheet of paper could be inserted between them.
Aside from the obvious aesthetic benefits, this style of construction has significant engineering advantages. Peru is a highly seismic country and Machu Picchu was built on top of two fault lines.
When an earthquake occurs, experts say that the stones of Inca buildings “dance”! That is, they bounce following the movement of the earthquake, and then fall back. If the Incas had not used this construction method, Machu Picchu would have collapsed long ago.
3. The most impressive buildings are invisible
Although the Inca are best remembered for the architectural beauty of their buildings, their civil engineering designs are so advanced that they baffle contemporary scholars. Especially when you consider that we are dealing with a culture that did not use draft animals, iron tools or wheels.
The site we see today was created in an area between two small mountain peaks, requiring moving stones and earth to create a sufficiently flat area. Engineer Kenneth Wright estimated that 60 percent of Machu Peaks' buildings are underground.
Much of the structure consists of deep foundations and crushed stone used for drainage. Anyone who has visited Machu Picchu in the rainy season can attest that the Inca city is subject to heavy rainfall. Yet, no one has ever seen a flood.
4. The old path leading to the ruins still exists
Machu Picchu can be easily reached thanks to various types of transport, but their cost is far from cheap. The round trip bus ride to the ruins costs around $20.
However, trekking lovers can reach the Inca city thanks to the steep path traveled in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, enjoying the spectacular view that impressed the explorer when he arrived there for the first time. The climb is quite tiring and takes about 90 minutes.
5. The great hidden museum that no one visits!
Although the typical explanatory signs of natural parks are present, one of the strangest things about Machu Picchu is that there is no information about the ruins for visitors.
The only information available is offered by the excellent Museo de Sitio Manuel Chavez Ballon, which provides all the explanations on how and why Machu Picchu was built. But you have to find it first.
The museum is hidden at the end of a long dirt road near the ruins, about 30 minutes' walk from the city of Aguas Calientes.
6. There is a peak to climb
Long before the sun rises, hordes of eager visitors line up outside the Aguas Calientes bus ticket office, hoping to be among the first to enter the site. Why?
Only the first 400 people to sign up can visit the summit of Huayna Picchu, a small green rhino horn-shaped peak that appears in the background of many photos of Machu Picchu.
The view enjoyed at 1640 meters above sea level is breathtaking: the Urubamba river seems to wrap itself around Machu Picchu like a snake. According to visitors, it is worth waking up early to be among the lucky ones admitted to the summit.
7. There is a secret temple
The lucky climbers of Huayna Picchu also have the opportunity to visit a monument unknown to most: the Temple of the Moon.
Following a small path on the opposite side of the peak, you reach a ceremonial sanctuary built in a cave lined with magnificent stones, full of niches that were probably once used to contain mummies.
8. There are still many things to discover
Visiting the site of Machu Picchu you may notice occasional small paths branching out into the dense foliage of the forest. Where do they lead? No one knows, as there has been no further exploration in recent years.
The rainforest grows rapidly and there may be dozens of trails yet to be discovered, which could lead to unknown ruins nearby. It cannot be ruled out that new expeditions could be organized in the coming years.
9. Natural alignments
Ever since Hiram Bingham arrived at Machu Picchu in 1911, all visitors have understood that the natural setting of the site is as important as the buildings themselves. Recent research has shown that the location of the site, and the orientation of its most important structures, were strongly influenced by the position of nearby mountains believed to be sacred.
An arrow-shaped stone atop the summit of Huayna Picchu appears to point south, directly toward the famous Intihuatana Stone on Mount Salcanty, one of the most revered sacred mountains in Inca cosmology. Furthermore, referring to the Inca calendar, the Sun can be seen rising or setting behind other significant peaks.
10. The destination of a pilgrimage
A new theory proposed by Italian archaeoastronomer Giulio Magni suggests that the journey from Cuzco to Machu Picchu may have had a ceremonial purpose, echoing the narrative of an important legend: the first Inca man left the Island of the Sun in Lake Titicaca. Following the path of the Urubamba River, the proto-Inca developed the mythical route that pilgrims then retraced when traveling from Cuzco to Machu Picchu.
The last leg of the pilgrimage would end by climbing the steps of the Intihuatana Stone, the highest point of the main ruins.
