16 dig
WHAT'S MACHU
W
hen a member of the Inca
royalty became the emperor,
or Sapac Inca ("Unique
Inca"), one of his exclusive privileges was
to construct country palaces in the areas
he conquered or rehuilt. These royal
estates were designed for rest and
relaxation. The complexes often were
surrounded hy lands set aside for hunting,
and some were well known for their
elahorate gardens, water channels, and
fountains. Many royal estates had elaborate
terraced fartns, but crop production was
not their primary purpose.
Inca royals preferred the Urubamba
drainage area, which was located to the
north of the capital. They liked its physical
beauty and its closeness to the capital of Cuzco.
There were at least half a dozen royal estates in
the Urubamba Valley The most distant was
Machu Picchu, but it was still possible to carry
the Sapac Inca and his queen, the Coya,
on a jeweled litter along the stone-paved road
to Machu Picchu in only three or four days.
MYSTERY SOLVED!
The mystery about Machu Picchus construction,
function, and abandonment ended once
archaeologists and historians realized that the
In Guzco, descendants of the ancient Incas reenact the Inti
Raymi festival, when the Inca ruler, represented by the man
being carried in the litter, and mummies of past emperors
were carried in procession, insets: Silver Inca hairpins.
,site had functioned as a
I royal estate. Study of
[surviving documents
'and ruins revealed that
the emperor Pachacuti had
built it around A.D. 1460,
following his conquest of the
lower Urubamba Valley Like several other royal
estates, Machu Picchu does not appear in any of
the major Spanish historical accounts. Because
these areas offered few possibilities for trade or
economic profit, the Spanish do not seem to
have been interested in them. The first clear
reference to Machu Picchu was found in legal
papers that related to land claims made by
the descendants of the Inca elite.
With no historical accounts and no
archaeological evidence to help him compare
Machu Picchu with other areas, Hiram Bingham
proposed a series of interpretations. The first
said that Machu Picchu was the birthplace of
the Incas, but there is no early Inca pottery
in the collections he recovered.
Binghams second suggestion said that
Machu Picchu was a center for the cloistered
Chosen Women—that is, the Virgins of the Sun.
This theory proved incorrect after skeletal
remains found on site were analyzed. The results
revealed that there were many men, women,
and children of all ages among Machu Picchu's
population.
Binghams third suggestion, that Machu Picchu
could have been the final center of resistance
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l_
against the Spaniards,
also proved incorrect.
Thus far, no artifacts
related to the Spanish
conquest—glass, metal
nails, glazed pottery, or
Spanish roof tiles, for
example—have been
tmcovered. We know,
however, that such finds
were present at the royal
estate in Chincheros and
at the citadel Vilcabamba,
because the Spanish
priests and negotiators
who visited the area
before the Spanish troops
raided it in 1572 referred
to them in their accounts.
The carefuiiy shaped Intihuatana ("Hitching Post of the Sun") stone may have served several
purposes. Here it appears to replicate Huayna Picchu mountain, symbolizing mountain worship.
It probably also served as a sighting point or marker during solstice ceiebrations and rituals.
Machu Picchu does, however, bear a striking
similarity to other royal estates built by tbe Inca
ruler Pachacuti. One of these is the well-known
complex located farther upstream at Pisac. The
theory of Machu Picchu being a royal estate is
consistent with the abundance of classic Inca
pottery and architecture found at the site. It is
also consistent with the fact that it was built in
the same royal style that Pachacuti popularized
as the symbol of the Inca state.
Machu Picchu is best understood as a country
palace designed to house and protect the ruler
and his family as well as the Inca nobility and
their guests and support staff. Rather than
having impressive multifloor buildings, Inca
palaces consisted of many small stone
structures. In examining the layout of
Machu Picchu, it is possible to identify
areas designed for housing the emperor
and his guests. Also clearly visible
are open plaza
areas for rituals.
feasting, dancing, and athletic competitions.
The not-so-refined constructions found on the
terraces were for housing the servants and staff.
An important activity carried on by those
who worked in the service of the ruler was the
production of metal objects such as tweezers,
silver shawl pins, knives, and drinking vessels.
The royal family would then distribute these
items as gifts to favored guests and other subjects.
A CAVE TB.U ALL
It is unlikely that more than 650 people ever
lived at Machu Picchu, and most of these were
probably staff. Analysis of their burials has
confirmed that these people were a diverse
group, brought from many distant areas of the
coast and highlands, including Lake Titicaca
and the north coast of what is now Peru.
Pachacuti, along with later rulers, claimed
to be descended from the sun, so it is not
surprising that many buildings at the site were
meant for worship. One of the best-known structures is located across from the emperors residence. Its curved outer wall resembles that at
the Temple of the Sun (the Coricancha) in
Cuzco. Research shows that this building was
designed to observe the June solstice, a holiday
that marks the shortest day of the year in the
Left: This unusual structure at
Machu Picchu is called the Torreon.
Some believe that it was a sun
temple, but recent studies suggest
that it likely was constructed and
utilized for other purposes. It
remains one of the many mysteries
yet to be solved. Insets: Bronze,
hinged tweezers to pluck out
unwanted hair. Below: The loop at
the top middle of this crescentshaped bronze knife allowed the
owner to wear it as a pendant.
Opposite, bottom: Adorning this
straight-blade
bronze knife is
the figure of a
fisherman,
hauling in his
line with a
fish caught
at the end.
southern hemisphere. (See also page 11.)
On the other side of Machu Picchu,
investigators found a cave. It has a shaft that
was specially created to observe the December
solstice, a major rehgious celebration. Other
ritual features of the site, including the Great
Rock, have been linked to the worship of forces
associated witb the bigb mountain peaks
visible from tbe royal estate. The huihuatana,
or "Hitching Post of the Sun" (opposite,
above), dominates the bill on the western
side of ihe site. It features a carved, polished
surface that resembles an altar and surrounds a
pillarlike projection that casts a shadow on
sunny days. While many have suggested
that the Intihuatana could have been
used to observe tbe sun, archaeologists
continue to debate tbis idea.
at a time when the Incas
~'^^
were struggling for their
survival.
Within a short time after the Spanish
arrival, the Inca royalty left their lush
country estate and became part of eitber
the new Spanish colonial government
or the rebel forces opposed to
it. Machu Picchu, meanwhile,
was abandoned. Only some
400 years later was it
rediscovered—by farmers
seeking to make a living using its
terraces and by explorers looking for
sites mentioned in old Spanish accounts.
Lucy C. Salazar served as a consulting
for this issue.
editor
A N ERA ENDS
Even though agricultural terraces surrounded
Machu Picchu, the area was never self-sufhcient.
Rather, iLs people depended on outside labor
and goods to survive. After the Spaniards
executed tbe Inca ruler Atabualpa and tbe
Inca taxation system collapsed, tbe basis of
Macbu Picchu's support disappeared. Yet, there
would have been little need for a country palace
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