subject: The Secrets Of Machu Picchu [print this page] Machu Picchu is an Inca site dating back to the 15th century. Located 2,430 meters above sea level in the mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, this was believed to be an estate for Incan emperor Pachacuti. It is now a World Heritage Site and is known throughout the world as the Lost City of the Incas.
The architecture of the city is a marvel, with many believe that the technology of the era when it was built was not at par with the engineering feats that the city showcases. The buildings and other structures were done in the classical Inca style using polished dry stonewalls. There are three major structures, namely the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun and the Room of the Three Windows. The planned design of the city, as well as its location in the landscape and alignment to astronomical events indicates that the site has more secrets than it has told to the archaeologists that have studied the region.
While it is a consensus that the city is a sacred religious site, the engineering required to build the structures, its alignment to key astronomical events and the sudden abandonment lead to the theory that another higher being assisted the then Incas in the creation of the site. The rocks brought to the area weighed many tons, which could not just be carried even with many slaves through the mountainous landscape. Furthermore, the stone structures have finely smoothed stones, with some differences only up to the thickness of a hair and corners that are razor sharp required craftsmanship beyond the means of the technologies at hand during the period. Furthermore, the sudden abandonment of the area only after a century leads many to the conclusion that it was used only for a specific purpose and its specific alignment with stellar bodies lead many to theorize that it served as an area for ancient beings that visited from beyond the Earth.
Other more prudent theorists declare that the site is a religious site, specifically for religious and agricultural regions. Many believe that sacrifices were done in the area for the gods while at the same time the agricultural region was used to determine the proper plants to be used in microclimates. The city has a total of 140 structures, such as temples, parks and homes. Citizens would be able to move about the city through flights of stairs often carved out of a single block of granite. There were also many water fountains in the city, interconnected with channels and water drains to provide water for an irrigation system.
One of the greatest artifacts in Machu Picchu was the Intihuatana stone. These stones were arranged in alignment with the sun during the winter solstice. It was the belief of the Incas that the sacred stone held the sun in place in its annual path through the sky. The alignment of the stone at midday during November 11 and January 30 results in a perfect line. As proof, at this time, there is no shadow cast by the stones. On June 21, the stone casts its longest shadow on the southern side of the city while December 21 is marked with a shorter shadow on the northern side. The accuracy of this astronomical clock using simple stones is beyond accurate up until this current date.
Machu Picchu has many more secrets. If only these stones can speak.
