10 Interesting Facts About Machu Picchu

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10 Interesting Facts About Machu Picchu

Explorers have been long fascinated with Machu Picchu. This long lost site was popularized by Hiram Bingham, although it may have been discovered up to 40 years earlier by German explorers. Bingham is not a popular figure in Peru because many of the artifacts that he discovered while exploring Mach Picchu were taken to Yale University, including the remains of mummies, and the total estimated amount of artifacts is thought to be over 40,000.

At over 7,000 feet and resting in the Andes Mountains, this UNESCO World Heritage Site has been designated as one of the new wonders of the world. That’s very fitting for a city that means Old Mountain.

1. You’ll Get Fit

If you visit Machu Picchu to see the ruins first-hand, then you will notice that there are a lot of stairs in this ancient city. There’s actually more than 100 different flights of stairs that can be found on this mountain top. Even more remarkable is the fact that a vast majority of these stairs have been carved out of a single stone slab each time. No one really knows why the city exists. Some say it was a royal estate. Others say it is a spiritual site.

2. That’s a Lot of Stones

In looking at the foundations that remain in Machu Picchu, it is believed that there were about 150 buildings in total that were built. Most of these buildings were created with stones that are over 50 pounds in weight. Many of these stones are believed to have been hand-carried up the mountain so they could be used to build the city. When one man couldn’t carry a stone, researchers believe that multiple men would simply push the stone up the mountain instead of using carts with wheels.

3. A Lost Skill

If there is one thing you should know about the Inca people, it’s the fact that they were extremely skilled in art of masonry. Even today, the remaining structures are so well-built in Machu Picchu that it is not possible to slip a knife blade between the stones that were used to build the homes in the city. Considering its location, the craftsmanship would have to be the best in the world at the time in order for the city to thrive and survive.

4. The Spanish Didn’t Know

When the Spanish came through and were conquering the Incan civilization during the Colonial Era, it was not uncommon for them to completely level a city that they had taken over. Almost all of the cities from this civilization have been lost to time. Machu Picchu stands out because the Spanish didn’t have any knowledge of the city. It was invisible from below and never found, which allows us all to learn more about this culture.

5. Night Sky Delight

The reason why many believe that Machu Picchu might be a spiritual location is because of the Intihuatana stone that was found in the city. Carvings on this sacred stone are able to accurately indicate the two equinoxes. We know this because on the day of the equinox, the sun shines directly on the stone so that it casts no shadow whatsoever.

6. It May Have Never Been Lost

Bingham is often credited with finding the lost city of the Incas, but the fact is that this city may never have been lost at all. When he ventured to it, he found that there were three families of farmers that were actually living on the site. Bingham always claimed that he had actually found the lost city of Vilcabamba, but it is believed today that the city Bingham was hoping to find was actually about 50 miles west of Machu Picchu.

7. Stronger Than Ever

Machu Picchu is built on top of not one, but two major fault lines. This means that it has seen its fair share of earthquakes. What is remarkable about the construction of the buildings at this city is that they have been able to withstand earthquakes better than the modern cities of Cusco or Lima. When an earthquake strikes, the stones at Machu Picchu are said to dance. When the earthquake is over, they simply fall back into place thanks to their exact cuts.

8. Underground Engineering At Its Best

Machu Picchu is a site that gets a lot of rain every year. In order to make the area livable, engineers would have had to literally sculpt the top of the mountain to make sure the buildings had a firm enough foundation to stand. There would also need to be extensive drainage installed so that the precipitation could be funneled away from the living areas. This means that the most impressive work that was done at Machu Picchu is invisible to the human eye.

9. A Pricey Proposition

It’s not cheap to reach Machu Picchu. Once you make it to Cusco, the train tickets to reach the site are upwards of $100. To enter the site, it is going to cost you more than $40 per person. There’s a steep road that must be navigated as well, so the bus trip is going to cost $14 per person. The price is worth it, however, because the ruins remain uncluttered. There aren’t any informational signs or visitor centers where stories about the ruins are on display.

10. There Could Be Much More

When people visit Machu Picchu, one of the first things they notice is that there are numerous trails that go off into the dense jungle foliage. The forest grows over the area very quickly, so there could be numerous ruins that have yet to be discovered. Considering many of the buildings tend to face the areas of importance for the equinox, it is very possible that there could be many fascinating discoveries that have yet to be found.

Machu Picchu is one of the places on the planet that everyone should see at least once. The journey may be costly, but the value that a visit provides is well worth the investment that it may take to reach the site.