Machu Picchu

The mountaintop retreat of Machu Picchu (in Quechua the name means "old peak") remained hidden in the Andes for centuries, until Hiram Bingham, a Yale University professor, found the site in 1911. In truth, the ruins were never "lost," since local people always knew exactly where Machu Picchu was—at the top of a 9,000-foot mountain.

The site contains a remarkable city that was once a royal estate—a country palace—for the sapa inca. Shrouded by mountain mists are more than 150 houses, temples, baths, storage rooms, and palaces. The site has a cemetery, facilities for processing grain, and a plaza for festivals. One of the most remarkably beautiful features of Machu Picchu is the abundance of fountains, which were created from natural springs that ripple down rock walls or pool in sunken tubs.

The stonework stands as a testament to the skills of Inca masons. Walls are built of cut stones that are fitted so tightly that a knife will not pass between them. Some of the building stones weigh more than 50 tons.

Artifacts found at Machu Picchu include vessels of bronze, copper, and silver, ceramic plates and bowls, bracelets, pins, earrings, and tools, such as knives and axes. There was no gold. Since it was a country estate, the elite left their valuable possessions at the end of their stay, rather than abandoning the site as the result of an emergency. Also, there were no royal burials at the site, although scientists have found the skeletal remains of about 174 individuals at Machu Picchu.

The local people were careful never to reveal the location of Machu Picchu to the Spanish. The conquistadors eagerly looted temples and sacred huacas, while Catholic priests destroyed any idols and altars they found. Today, Machu Picchu is a United Nations World Heritage site and a major tourist attraction for people willing to hike along the top of the Andes Mountains.

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