Peter's Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is one of the most awe inspiring places in the world. Its natural beauty draws in visitors from all

across the world. The name Machu Picchu roughly translates to old peak.

Machu Picchu has been abandoned since the 15th century when the Spanish conquest conquered the Incas.

The Incas finished Machu Picchu in 1450 only a century before the Spanish conquest conquered them. With a

size as large as 126 sq miles it is amazing to think that they built this with all hand tools. If the Spanish hadn't conquered the Incas they might still be living there today

When it was built it had certain areas that were permitted entrance only to those who were part of that tier in

their society. The system worked by having walls painted certain colors. These colors corresponded with

specific political tiers.

No one can tell how much longer Machu Picchu will last. With earthquakes hitting regularly the condition of this

ancient ruin is deteriorating at an alarming rate.

Citations:

Wikipedia contributors. "Machu Picchu." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 18 Feb. 2015. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.

Bingham, Hiram (1922). Inca Land: explorations in the highlands of Peru. Boston, Massachusetts, USA: Houghton Mifflin. OCLC 248230298.Bingham, Hiram (1979) [1930]. Machu Picchu, a citadel of the Incas. New York, USA: Hacker Art Books. ISBN 978-0-87817-252-8. OCLC 6579761.
 * Burger, Richard; and Lucy Salazar (eds.) (2004). Machu Picchu: Unveiling the Mystery of the Incas. New Haven, Connecticut, USA: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-09763-4.OCLC 52806202.
 * Davies, Nigel (1997). The Ancient Kingdoms of Peru. London, UK and New York, USA: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-023381-4. OCLC 37552622.
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 * MacQuarrie, Kim (2007). The Last Days of the Incas. New York, USA: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7432-6049-7. OCLC 77767591.
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 * Reinhard, Johan (2007). Machu Picchu: Exploring an Ancient Sacred Center. Los Angeles, California, USA: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, UCLA. ISBN 978-1-931745-44-4. OCLC 141852845.
 * Richardson, Don (1981). Eternity in their Hearts. Ventura, California, USA: Regal Books. pp. 34–35. ISBN 0-8307-0925-8. OCLC 491826338.
 * UNESCO World Heritage Centre. "Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 10 Jan 2010.
 * Weatherford, J. McIver (1988). Indian givers: how the Indians of the Americas transformed the world. New York, USA: Fawcett Columbine. ISBN 0-449-90496-2. OCLC 474116190.
 * Wright, Kenneth; Alfredo Valencia Zegarra (2000). Machu Picchu: A Civil Engineering Marvel. Reston, Virginia, USA: ASCE Press (American Society of Civil Engineers). ISBN 978-0-7844-0444-7.OCLC 43526790.
 * Wright, Kenneth R.; Alfredo Valencia Zegarra & Christopher M. Crowley (May 2000a). "Completion Report to Instituto Nacional de Cultura on Archaeological Exploration of the Inca Trail on the East Flank of Machu Picchu and on Palynology of Terraces Part 1" (PDF). Retrieved 14 Jan 2010.
 * Wright, Kenneth R.; Alfredo Valencia Zegarra & Christopher M. Crowley (May 2000). "Completion Report to Instituto Nacional de Cultura on Archaeological Exploration of the Inca Trail on the East Flank of Machu Picchu and on Palynology of Terraces Part 2" (PDF). Retrieved 14 Jan 2010.
 * Wright, Kenneth R.; Alfredo Valencia Zegarra & Christopher M. Crowley (May 2000c). "Completion Report to Instituto Nacional de Cultura on Archaeological Exploration of the Inca Trail on the East Flank of Machu Picchu and on Palynology of Terraces Part 3" (PDF). Retrieved 14 Jan 2010.
 * Wright, Ruth M.; Dr. Alfredo Valencia Zegarra (2001, 2004). The Machu Picchu Guidebook: A self-guided tour (Revised ed.). Boulder, Colorado, USA: Johnson Books. ISBN 1-55566-327-3.OCLC 53330849. Check date values in:   (help)