Machu Picchu history

Machu Picchu History

Machu Picchu citadel has had diverse occupation periods. Taken from chronicles, of structural style and ceramics found, the next periods are deduced:

Initial period: AD 1300

Classic period: AD 1400

Imperial period: AD 1533

Period of transition: AD 1533- 1572 AC

Machu Picchu history

Most of modern archaeologist and historians agree that Machu Picchu was built by the Inca Pachacútec, the biggest statistician of The Tehuantinsuyo, who governed from 1430 to 1417. Archaeologists presume that the building of the citadel dates from the 15th century, approximately, chronological date given by the carbon 14 or radiocarbon.

Machu Picchu building belongs to the moment in which the small dominion Inca began to expand itself. According to archaeologists, in this area a last battle was fought, which defined the victory over the Chankas, victory that gave prestige and power to the Inca Pachacútec.

Pachacútec was the first Inca in going further from the Cuzco valley after his epic victory over the Chankas. He was who carried out the expansion of the Tahuantinsuyo and is well-known as the builder of the Cuzco. It was one of his biggest constructions.

Machu Picchu Origen is attributed with certainty to Pachacútec, brave chief who is characterized by his territorial conquests, and development of religion and spirituality. That is why nowadays archaeologist studies support the theory that it was a royal farm assigned to the worship of the gods and a challenge to the ruler’s construction skills.

It was built as the refuge of the highest Inca aristocracy, the fortress is located in the Eastern watershed of the Vilcanota Mountain Range, about 50 miles from Cuzco, the capital of the Empire. Its strategic geographic placement was chosen with admirable foresight. Surrounded by deep cliffs and hidden from sight of strangers in the thick jungle vegetation, Machu Picchu citadel had only one narrow entrance, which allowed very few soldiers to defend it against a surprise attack.

Occupied at least for three Inka generations, Machu Picchu citadel was abandoned on a sudden and mysterious decision. The soundest assumptions explain its historical memory disappearance on the grounds that Machu Picchu was an unknown place to lower castes and its routes were forbidden to anyone that wasn´t part of the reduced Inka circle.

Part of the Pachacútec conquests included the Tampu Valley, which, in spite of being inhabited by that Cuzco sister nation, it didn´t get away itself from his iron rule.

Due to its natural beauty, benign climate (one of the best Andes’s climates) and rich soil, Pachacútec set on Tampu the preferred settlement of the new

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