I would build such beautiful
buildings to house the chosen
few, like an Inca from Peru.
--Neil Young
In 1911, American explorer Hiram Bingham discovered what he claimed was the ‘Lost City of the Inca.’ He had in fact conflated Machu Picchu with Vilcabamba, the secret city where the Incas fled the Conquistadors from Spain.Amidst mountainous forests on the steep slopes of the Andes stands this incomparable relic of 15th Century Peruvian agriculture, science and religion where natural landscapes merge effortlessly with man-made stonework ingenuity.
Among Machu Picchu’s breathtaking highlights are the mysterious and cavernous Temple of the Moon and La Ciudadela, the historic site’s high pinnacle.
Despite such a largely intact ecosystem there is much that remains unknown regarding Machu Picchu’s significances, functions and overall purposes. With so many questions and beautifully puzzling pieces to arrange, it would seem, once again, that the ancients have had the last laugh.
