By Lucas Taylor and Jake Moran!!!

Maccu Picchu is an amazing ancient city left behind by the ancient civilisation of the Inca people. It was created by erecting huge stone structures around the 1400’s. Machu picchu actually means ‘Old Peak’ or “Old Mountain” in the Quechua language. Included in the design there are baths, places and also about 150 houses. Machu Picchu is located a stunning 2,345 metres above sea level in Peru South America. There are things like Houses, Temple’s, Funerary Rocks, Royal Tomb’s, Tomb’s, Plaza’s, Sacred Rocks, Prisons, Fields, Terraces and Baths. it is completely made out of Stone.

Machu Picchu is famous for being a home for the ancient civilisation the Inca people. Archaeologist’s have hypothesized that at least 1200 people used to live here. Other groups of Archaeologist have hypothesized it was a temple in which the royals used to go for holidays and retreats, or just to relax. It is now famous for being a great heritage site and an amazing tourist attraction.

Machu Picchu is located 50 miles North West of Cusco, Peru, Southern America. It is located in a pictures Tropical Mountain Range.

Machu Picchu used to be either a home for the Ancient Inca people, a temple, a place for the riches to stay and relax or it was also thought to be a prison by Archaeologists. Machu Picchu really reveals how the ancient Incas used to live, how they lived their life and their beliefs. The Incas had to travel a huge way just to get to Machu Picchu so it wouldn't have been inhabited by many people because there wouldn’t be enough food to carry up. Machu Pitchu could have also been used for training priests or possibly for training brides. This tells us that the Inca people were very religious, or that Inca men went through lots of women thoughout there lifetime. It was stumbled upon by a man called Hiram Bingham whilst he was there studying. Other people have found many other great ruins around the area but they had never found Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu was actually known to the locals so it wasn’t really lost or forgotten. Hiram Bingham was the first non South American to find Machu Picchu. He found Machu Picchu in the year He was a Historian and he wasn't actually in South America to find Machu Picchu he was actually there to finish his study on Simon Bolivar a great nineteenth century liberator. He was invited by J.J Nunez to find Choquekirau “last resting place of the Incas” this inspired him so when he went back to the united States of America he decided to travel back to Lima to study and find other things around Peru involving the Incan people. They made camp at a place called Mandor Pampa. Some locals told Hiram’s translator where it was exactly and they set off. When Hiram Bingham got to Machu Picchu he was simply amazed, he compared the rockiness and some of the views to the Canadian Rockies.

Well Machu Picchu was in brilliant condition when Hiram Bingham got there. Machu Picchu was actually used by people in Peru even before Bingham arrived and found out that people had been living there years before he had arrived the soil was in good condition all the buildings were in good condition and all the temples and artefacts were also in good condition.

Machu Picchu is protected by UNESCO. It is declared as a Historic sanctuary. It is well preserved with most of it still up and running in good condition.

The Incan Trail is a huge trail in which people can visit many different historic sites made by the Incan people. It trails around in a loop starting in Ollantaytambo and it finishes in Aguas Calientes. You cross a few rivers on the 2 day trek, the views are stunning and it is worth 2 days to trek.

AuthorYearTitleOnlineWeb address Accessed date Magic Planet Productions LLC 2010Sacred Sites. Places of Peace and Power Yeshttp:// sites.com/america s/peru/machu_pic chu.html 4th-8 th Kathy Doore2008Machu Picchu “The lost city of the Incas” Yeswww.labyrinthina.c om 14th-8 th Mike Weston2009Andean travelYeswww.andeantravel web.com/peru 14th-8 th UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE CENTRE World Heritage Convention Yes15 th -8 th -2011