Preview

Machu Picchu: The Ancient Incan Empire

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
238 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Machu Picchu: The Ancient Incan Empire
Machu Picchu was built for the Incan emperor Pachacuti in the mid-15th century, but the exact reason is a mystery. Most archaeologists think that it might have been a royal retreat for the emperor, while others insist that it has only religious significance due to its location 7,972 feet above sea level in the Andes mountains of Peru, South America. It is certainly the most spectacular example of the architectural prowess of the ancient Incan Empire.
The architecture of Machu Picchu showcases the ingenuity of the Incans; the terraces were built not only for agricultural purposes, but also as erosion control. The terraces shored up the sides of the mountain to fight soil erosion and landslides
The Incans devised an ingenious drainage system

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Answer: They used it to the physical feature of geography taking advantage of the mountain hilltops and sides. The need to feed the people of the extensive Incan empire…

    • 507 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    This is significant because the Incas are an agrarian society, meaning their economy is based on the ability to produce food. This caused farmers to create beautiful terraces at the site of Machu Picchu so as to optimize their…

    • 1051 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Imam Malik's Influence

    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages

    It was likely the most astounding urban production of the Inca Empire at its stature; its goliath dividers, porches and inclines appear as though they have been cut actually in the ceaseless rock ledges. It was surrendered an expected 100 years after its development, most likely around the time the Spanish started their triumph of the relentless pre-Columbian human progress in the 1530s. There is no confirmation that the conquistadors ever assaulted or even came to the peak fortress, nonetheless; consequently, some have recommended that the occupants' abandonment happened as a result of a smallpox plague. Concealed in the rough wide open northwest of Cuzco, Peru, Machu Picchu is accepted to have been an illustrious domain or holy religious site for Inca pioneers, whose human advancement was for all intents and purposes wiped out by Spanish intruders in the sixteenth century. For a long time, until the American classicist Hiram Bingham unearthed it in 1911, the surrendered fortress' presence was a mystery known just to laborers living in the area. The site extends over an amazing 5-mile separation, including more than 3,000 stone steps that connection its various…

    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Then, the mud from the canals were placed on mats, which were made from weeds and straw. Then,…

    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Inkas married the Earth

    • 849 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The ingenuity of the Inka stonemasons who constructed the empire’s majestic buildings out of precisely cut and fitted stone is renowned even today. They are famous for their mortarless and earthquake-proof technique of fitting finely chiseled, jointed stone blocks into one another – so closely, in fact, that a razor blade could not be slide between them – and this highly detailed work was accomplished mainly with hammerstones. Many Inka monuments (including the empire’s capital, Machu Picchu) still stand testament to the quality of the workmanship of Inka engineers, but how, why, and where they built these give important insight into the significance that building technology held for the Inkas.…

    • 849 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    One of the the amazing things is that the stoneworks at Machu Picchu is in the finest quality. In the article The Stones of Machu Picchu, Duane Damon states, "...walls of white granite ashlars [stone building blocks] carefully cut and exquisilely bitted together" (Damon). What Duane Damon is saying, is that the walls are made and cut to precision so that the pieces can fit together perfectly. Also, that with all the hard work put into these stoneworks that everything fits together like a puzzle piece. Also in the article…

    • 327 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Machu Picchu Influence

    • 384 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Agriculture influenced the city of Machu Picchu a lot as evident from its geographical location. The site surrounded by a river from three sides and vast amount of plantation encouraged agriculture. Potatoes and tomatoes are the two main crops that the Spanish invaders also took along with them during their conquest of Incan empire. The main issue for people of Machu Picchu was the availability of enough land to cultivate, so to overcome the deficiency of farmland the hillsides were terraced. This also provided…

    • 384 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Inca civilization started around the XII century on Andean mountains region in South America. The Empire grew up so fast that one century later its territory extended through Peru, Ecuador and the north of Chile and its population was more than 20 million. The Inca emperor was considered the son of the sun and almost a god. He had power about all structures of civilization and was wealthy. Like every civilization of this period, the Inca had a blind faith in their gods so mythology was extremely important to them. Gods were the core of their civilization functioning, the Inca acted always according to their beliefs and their gods were present in everyday life like agriculture, war and so on. They were also,…

    • 1910 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The unexpected attack surprised the Incas, where the Incas didn’t know they have superior numbers than the Spanish. And there were also other psychological factors, such an Inca god called Viracoxa was a white man, and the Incas thought these men might be the incarnation of Viracoxa.…

    • 103 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The great Aztecs were very intelligent, and made many cultural achievements. First of all, they adapted to the marshy Lake Texcoco by creating artificial islands called ‘chinampas’ and bridges over the water called ‘causeways’. As for crops, they created a 365 day calendar so they could plan planting, harvesting, and watering. Plus, they enjoyed music, dance, poetry, and sculpture. Perhaps their greatest achievement was their stone temples. With great height, and innovation, the Aztecs are known for their great buildings.…

    • 296 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Inca and the Aztec Empires have similar Architecture for their “cosmopolitan capitals with monumental ceremonial centers and palaces” (Von Sivers et al. 450). Both, Inca and Aztec cities where among the largest in the world, and the cities had as many inhabitants as 100,000 to 200,000. “Although their monumental architecture followed different artistic traditions, both emphasized platforms and sanctuaries atop large pyramid-like structures as symbols of elevated power as well as closeness to the astral gods” (Von Sivers et al. 450). Both empires had similar…

    • 699 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Machu Picchu

    • 1981 Words
    • 8 Pages

    How can society educate individuals about the different cultures, as well as the history they left behind? Society teaches individuals by displaying the works in a museum, in which educates individuals about a cultures history. Museums are able to preserve, protect, educate, as well as display the collection in order for individuals to understand more about that culture. Even though the priority of a museum is to share the cultures historical background, most cultures find it offensive about how these objects are being displayed as well as the fact that these objects have been stolen from them. This particular problem is seen between the Peruvian citizens and Yale University, about how the collections should be given back to the people or stay with the University. These collections at Yale University are doing a specific job by educating individuals, although they are still considered to be known as stolen pieces. I will be taking a position from my knowledge about museums, and arguing the fact that these collections should be returned to the Peruvian people.…

    • 1981 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Montezuma Castle

    • 587 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Montezuma Castle is located in the Verde Valley of Arizona which is 56 miles from Flagstaff and 96 miles from Phoenix. The site was named by settlers who thought it was originally built by the Aztec culture. Of course scholars now know that not to be true. It is carved into the side of a limestone cliff approximately 100 feet from the bottom of the valley. It was built in 1250 A.D. It has 20 rooms and it is 5 stories high and approximately 858 acres (Yahoo Encyclopedia). It was built by the Sinagua people a culture that inhabited the area from about 500 A.D to 1425 A.D. (Wikipedia). The term Sinagua comes from the Spanish "sin" without, and "agua" water, without water. The Sinagua were farmers who used Beaver Creek to irrigate the surrounding area. It is believed that a drought from about 1276 to 1299 A.D. (Trimble) forced the Sinagua to leave the area and find other land to inhabit. The Spanish explorer Antonio de Espejo was the first European to discover the site in 1583 (Protas). After the Gadsden Purchase the U.S government began to send explorations into the Verde Valley area. Among the first Americans to visit was a man by the name of Edward Palmer he collected samples of the artifacts and clothing found not only at Montezuma castle but other sites along the Verde River (Protas). It is listed as a national monument by the National Park Service, in fact it was the first prehistoric ruin to be designated by the Antiquities Act in 1906 (Protas). The site was listed on the National Register of…

    • 587 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Aboriginal Spirituality

    • 7876 Words
    • 32 Pages

    Also may be burial grounds, ceremonial meeting places and other significant places such as birthing caves…

    • 7876 Words
    • 32 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Humanities

    • 1119 Words
    • 5 Pages

    It is believed that the workers were forced to remain inside the tomb when it was walled shut so they would not reveal the secrets of its construction. What was the emperor’s purpose for such an elaborate…

    • 1119 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays