<< Our Photo Pages >> Machu Picchu. - Ancient Village or Settlement in Peru
Submitted by bat400 on Thursday, 20 January 2022 Page Views: 39526
Multi-periodSite Name: Machu Picchu.Country: Peru Type: Ancient Village or Settlement
Nearest Town: Cusco Nearest Village: Aguas Calientes
Latitude: 13.1647S Longitude: 72.545W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
Internal Links:
External Links:
I have visited· I would like to visit
tlcearth would like to visit
bat400 visited on 14th Sep 2018 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 5 Access: 3
MartinJEley visited on 13th Apr 2016 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 5 Access: 5 The site is impressive because there are so many buildings where the walls are still intact, or restored. It makes it possible to imagine how the it may have looked when it was occupied. The journey in and the climb up the mountain, by bus, make it clear just how isolated Mach Picchu was when it was built.
Despite having seen many pictures and read many articles a visit to the site still made a huge impression on me.
mfrincu visited on 5th Apr 2015 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 4 Breathtaking! This is one of a "must see in your life" places!
ModernExplorers visited on 1st Sep 2003 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 5 Access: 3 The famous Incan city, a beautiful site set in a beautiful valley. More evidence of advanced technology used in its construction.
A must see
SolarMegalith visited on 1st Jul 2003 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 3
Jansold visited on 1st Sep 2001 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 2
Dutch visited on 28th Feb 1997 - their rating: Cond: 3 Access: 3
Tdiver visited on 1st Jan 1991 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 5 Access: 5
sirius_b visited on 1st Jan 1984 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 3
PAB Ogham DrewParsons Dutch davidmorgan keniaar have visited here
Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.67 Ambience: 5 Access: 3.44
There were never more than 1000 people living at the site, and most of the year, probably fewer.
"Inca" (Inka) was a chiefdom title given to leaders of a single ethic group in the highland interior around 1200 AD. They won control of lands and tribute from surrounding groups and eventually grew in military power until they succeeded in gaining control of what is now coastal Peru from the Chimu. The adopted much of the ruling social structure of that previous empire. This seems to have included a ruler's immediate family inheriting his wealth, leaving the actual successor to achieve his own wealth through new conquest. By the late 1400's the Incan Empire controlled various peoples of the Andes to the sea from north of the Equator to the middle region of what is now Chile. This was done through seacoast trading, a system of roadways, a system of knotted string base-ten recorders, and a ruthless methodology of transplanting commoners to different locations throughout the Empire.
Manchu Picchu is thought to have been built for Emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472) in around 1450AD and used for around 100 years before being abandoned during the breakup of the old Empire caused by the Spanish conquest of introduced disease, the control and execution of leaders, and the control of a succession of puppet rulers. The Machu Picchu estate was never found by the Spanish. It was shown to explorer Hiram Bingham by a local man (Melchor Arteaga) in 1911. Bingham was actually in search of Vitcos (called Rosaspata), the temporary Inca capital during their withdrawal from Cusco during Manco Inca's rebellion against the Spanish. He the exploring the area based on the notes of previous explorer Charles Wiener.
Set in this astounding natural area, on the edge of wet jungle interior, Machu Picchu is notable for architecture basically untouched by colonial and modern changes. It is estimated that more than half of the Incan works are not directly visible, consisting of foundations, drainage, and terracing creature to support the structures and prevent erosion of the site on the ridge between the mountain tops of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu. Unlike many Bronze Age sites of Europe and Asia, the site was neither built over or disassembled by quarrying for later projects. The site is divided into two main areas, an eastern Agricultural sector of terraces, and a western Urban sector. The Agricultural sector also includes the main entry to the site via a roadway from Cusco coming over Machu Picchu Mountain, control posts and gates, and a striking public hall which may have been used to host common people in the area or lower ranking visitors. The Urban sector includes the vast majority of buildings. Among them are structures used for storage, residential areas, workshops, and multiple sites and structures with ceremonial use, including natural stone outcrops artfully altered by the Inca with steps, altars, seating, and carefully planned angles and planes, the precise meaning of which is speculative. Like many other Incan sites, Machu Picchu reflects what appears to have been a determination of its makers to select building locations in striking and meaningful places among the mountains, where natural beauty and the fall of light and shadow may have had an equal importance to what we see as more practical matters of security, trade, and politics.
There is no museum at the site and very little signage, so bringing a guidebook or hiring a guide is highly recommended. A good museum for Machu Picchu can be found in Cusco, just one street off the central Plaza.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site. A train from Cusco takes visitors to a small town, Agua Calientes or Machu Picchu village, below the ruins. Many lodging options can be found in Agua Calientes, and a single luxury priced hotel allows those who plan ahead to stay very near the site. Alternately one can sign onto a tour and hike on Incan roads, passing other ruins and spectacular mountain scenery, staying at campsites on a multi-day trip.
[Information from a variety of sources, including National Geographic. Flash Earth and other aerial views are wonderful. It should be recognized that Inca "history" was written down by Spaniards after conquest. The chronicles differ depending on which Inca noble family was the source of the information. Most modern historians studying the meteoric rise of the Incan Empire look to multiple sources as well as the archaeological record.]
Note: Top photo: Houses at Machu Picchu - scan of Ilford 400 black and white film taken in 1997. More on our page
You may be viewing yesterday's version of this page. To see the most up to date information please register for a free account.
These are just the first 25 photos of Machu Picchu.. If you log in with a free user account you will be able to see our entire collection.
Do not use the above information on other web sites or publications without permission of the contributor.
Click here to see more info for this site
Nearby sites
Click here to view sites on an interactive map of the areaKey: Red: member's photo, Blue: 3rd party photo, Yellow: other image, Green: no photo - please go there and take one, Grey: site destroyed
Download sites to:
KML (Google Earth)
GPX (GPS waypoints)
CSV (Garmin/Navman)
CSV (Excel)
To unlock full downloads you need to sign up as a Contributory Member. Otherwise downloads are limited to 50 sites.
Turn off the page maps and other distractions
Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
1.2km ESE 120° Intipunku* Ancient Temple
2.1km N 353° Inkaraqay Ancient Village or Settlement
2.5km S 170° Intipata* Ancient Village or Settlement
3.2km SSE 162° Winay Wayna* Ancient Village or Settlement
4.8km SSE 164° Phuyupatamarca* Ancient Village or Settlement
7.7km SSE 156° Sayacmarca* Ancient Village or Settlement
8.5km SSE 146° Runkurakay* Ancient Village or Settlement
15.4km ESE 121° Llactapata* Ancient Village or Settlement
16.6km ESE 116° Salapunku* Ancient Village or Settlement
32.2km ESE 109° Ollantaytambo* Ancient Village or Settlement
34.6km ESE 118° Raqaypata* Ancient Village or Settlement
36.8km ESE 112° Ñaupa Iglesia* Ancient Temple
42.0km ESE 116° Moray Terraces* Misc. Earthwork
42.9km W 278° Ñusta Hispana* Holy Well or Sacred Spring
43.7km SW 235° Choquequirao* Ancient Village or Settlement
44.8km ESE 110° Las Salinas* Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry
50.9km SSW 213° Saihuite Stone* Sculptured Stone
59.5km ESE 115° Chinchero* Ancient Village or Settlement
59.6km ESE 115° Puma Temple* Ancient Temple
68.7km ESE 109° Huchuy Qosqo Ancient Village or Settlement
71.6km ESE 119° Tambomachay* Ancient Village or Settlement
71.9km ESE 122° Sacsayhuaman* Hillfort
72.0km ESE 121° Lanlakuyok Carving
72.3km ESE 119° Puca Pucara* Stone Fort or Dun
72.7km ESE 123° Cusco* Ancient Village or Settlement
View more nearby sites and additional images