An Examination of the Site at Machu Pichu, Essay Example

This paper examines the architectural genius of the 15th Century Incas and in particular the World Heritage site at Machu Pichu in Peru.  The subject matter looks at why this style of architecture is so important and the reasons for its’ uniqueness during this time period.  An examination of the historical significance of the “lost City” and why this remained undiscovered for a long time.  The paper looks at the different sections or areas of the site and the significance of these in terms of Inca Architecture and Culture.  Specific exhibits are examined from the point of architectural construction and special significance.  Conclusions will consider the significance of the site today in terms of modern architectural construction and the prospects of this site in the future.

Historical Background of Machu Pichu

The Ancient Incas built an architectural masterpiece in a harsh and difficult terrain. In order to build this huge Citadel they moved huge stone blocks from the border areas.  The concept must have taken many years of architectural planning.  They constructed the site at ancient spur called Machu Pichu.  This was of strategic value being on a low mountainside with a huge plateau. Entry was difficult thereby making the Citadel easy to defend from unwanted guests.  The site was built at around 2,400 metres above sea level.  It is considered that the site was built around 1450 and was subsequently abandoned some 100 years later at the time of the Spanish conquistadores.  Until 1911 it was essentially forgotten about and earned itself the title of the “Lost City”.  It was later declared a historical site by the Peruvian Government in 1981 and a world heritage site in 1983.  It has subsequently been listed as one of the 7 Wonders of the World.

Architectural Significance of the Site

Experts widely acclaim that Mach Picchu was some form of sanctuary. This being largely due to the way the construction and shapes blend into the Andes Mountains, Forests and surrounding area. A possible religious retreat for worship of Inca Deity and a place to retain prisoners.

Nearly all of the places within this historical site are created on the same premise and type of building style.  They have irregular walls but contain perfect joints between the stone blocks.  Gates contain a trapezoid style shape with typical Inca sculptures and carved niches that adorn them for decorative purposes.  (Wright).  One of the best accomplished walls is that of the  central wall, which can be observed in the main Temple.   These were constructed in huge blocks of stone and provided the setting for construction of Inca Alters.  They constructed huge stairways and water fountains.  In fact the site had abundant water supplies where they created ponds and irrigation channels to the terraces where they farmed.  For its time it was a technological masterpiece, denmonstrating work with blocks of granite, thatched roofing, construction of wooden doors, beams and examples of straw roofs.

The Sites of the Citadel

The Citadel was established into three main sites:

1. Agricultural site
2. Religious Site
3. Urban Site

It was a fully self-sustained community and would have been easy to defend because of the difficulty of its limited access.  Its’ remoteness would also have been kept a closely guarded secret amongst the Incas as a sacred site and place of worship.

The Agricultural Site

The marvel of the Agricultural site is the construction of huge terraces that were constructed to take advantage of the sun for growing crops.  The Incas had equally learnt the importance of irrigation constructing dykes and water channels in order to facilitate watering of these crops.  Certain areas were set aside for grazing. It is likely that this supported both Cattle and Sheep.  The large majority of food consumed by the Incas was domesticated animals, livestock and garden grown plants.  They were experts at cultivation.  The Incas were the first people to invest freeze drying, the process of meat that we now call beef jerky and popcorn.  (Reinhard)

The Religious Site

Here in the first zone is the Temple of the Sun and  wall with three windows.  This building was dedicated to the Sun God the greatest of the Inca deities.  A number of different types of people resided in this area.  There was a residential area for lower classes  containing storage areas and simple dwelling houses.  There was an upper terraced Royalty area for nobility and an area for wise people, characterized by reddish coloured walls. There was also an area for Princesses and this illustrated by trapezoid shaped rooms.   An area was set aside for the construction of an alter and place for ritual sacrifice.  Monumental Mausoleum is a carved statue with a vaulted interior and carved drawings.  (Cumes)

About 45 minute walk from the Summit lies the Temple of the Moon.  This is a particularly spectacular piece of Inca Architecture as the Incas made use of natural surroundings to build this Temple.  It is a huge natural cave where they carved in a massive stone granite wall. Towards the centre is a rock that has been carved like a throne, presumably an alter site.  There are then series of carved steps leading to different niches or recess areas.  Of significant interest was the Incas ability to make use of natural resources. They realised that the area was subject to seismic activities and earthquakes and this was taken into consideration for the selection of sites and the manner in which they approached construction.

The Urban Site

The Urban site commences by a wall that separates this from the Agricultural site.  It  is constructed on a ridges that declines into Urubamba Valley below.  This area contains a prison or jail with underground dungeons and series of circular rings that could be used to hold prisoners arms or legs.   The area also contains the intellectuals quarters or place for high ranking teachers. The area contains an area of large circular holes which are believed to be “dyeing areas” and then a flight of stairs leading to poorer constructed dwellings that would indicate residences for the lower working classes.  There is a large central Plaza that separates the religious from the urban sector.  The fine works of architecture are mainly contained in the religious centre and in this sense shows the emphasis of the time and class distinction that ruled within Inca society.  The Incas were not as violets as their neighbours the Aztecs but they did indulge in the practice of human sacrifice to their gods.  This was mainly children as the act of sacrifice was supposed to bring them nearer to their gods.  (Sarmiento De Gamboa)

The City and Its People

The Incas were religious people and believed in self adornment, hence gold was the sweat of the sun and silver was the tears of the moon.  Only the true Incas were allowed to wear jewellery of gold and silver. Machu Pichu was about 5 square miles in length and home to approximately 1200 Incas.  It was a secret ceremonial and religious site comprising of some 200+ buildings.  The marvel of the architecture is the precision in which construction was built. The interlocking bricks were so tight that you could not slip a blade of a knife between them. The stones stay together not reliant upon mortar but the excellent craftsmanship of the Incas.  (Malpass)

Conclusion

The Inca civilization is believed to have started in the 13th Century in the town of Cuzco. They were magnificent builders of towns, bridges, roadways, plazas, gardens and temples. Much of the architecture was destroyed by the invading Spanish armies.   Machu Picchu was initially built as a sanctuary for the Inca King Mancho 11 away from the invading Spaniards.  The marvel of the buildings is that they had no mortar and as such relied entirely on the precision of the stone masons and cutters. They dealt with huge blocks of limestone and granite in their building materials.  Another factor is the Incas understanding of mathematics and use of building shapes that would support great weights, in particular the trapezoid shape depicted in so many of their building doors, arches and walk ways.  (Graziano)

Works Cited

Cumes, C Valencia RL. “Journey to Machu Pichu.” Cumes, C Valencia RL. Journey to Machu Pichu. Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd, 1998.

Graziano, G Margolies, L. “Inca Architecture .” Graziano, G Margolies, L. Inca Architecture . Indiana University Press, 1984. 350.

Malpass, Michael A. “Daily Life in the Inca Empire.” Malpass, Michael A. Daily Life in the Inca Empire. Hackett Publishing Company, 2008.

Reinhard, Johan. “Machu Pichu: Exploring the ancient sacred centre.” Reinhard, Johan. Machu Pichu: Exploring the ancient sacred centre. Johnson Books, 2007. 188.

Sarmiento De Gamboa, P Bauer BS Smith V. “History of the Incas.” Sarmiento De Gamboa, P Bauer BS Smith V. History of the Incas. University of Texas Press, 2007.

Wright, Kenneth R , Zegarra, Alfredo V, Wright, Ruth M, McKewan, Gordon. “Machu Picchu : A Civil Engineering Mrvel.” Wright, Kenneth R , Zegarra, Alfredo V, Wright, Ruth M, McKewan, Gordon. Machu Picchu : A Civil Engineering Mrvel. ASCE Press 2009, 2009. .