« December 2004 | Main | February 2005 »

January 10, 2005

Machu Picchu Peru

By Tomas Mugh Machu Picchu, an 8,000-foot-high fortress built by the Inca king Pachacuti between 1460 and 1470, was the crown jewel of the Inca empire. The city, which researchers believe was used as a royal resort, was occupied for only 50 years or so before 180 Spanish conquistadors, armed with rifles, wiped out the ferocious, 40,000-man Inca army.

Its 200 structures, reached by a four-hour train ride from Cuzco some 43 miles away, are largely intact, constructed of granite blocks cut with bronze tools so that they fit perfectly together without mortar.

The rediscovery of Llactapata suggests that perhaps Machu Picchu was more than just a vacation spot for the king. A small section of the site was discovered by Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham during the 1911 expedition on which he found Machu Picchu, but he considered it unimportant and did not publish enough information to allow others to follow.

Last year, the pair announced the discovery of another lost Inca settlement, called Cota Coca, about 50 miles west of the ancient Inca capital of Cuzco. ''The fact that we have found two in two years means there could be many more out there,'' Thomson said.

Ahorre 02:14 PM | Comments (0)