Machu Pichu

Machu Picchu was built starting 1450–1460

In the Quechua language, machu means old or old person, while pikchu means either portion of coca being chewed or pyramid,

pointed multi-sided solid; cone.Thus the name of the site is sometimes interpreted as old mountai

Machu Picchu was built starting 1450–1460.Construction appears to date from two great Inca rulers There is a consensus

among archaeologists that Pachacutec ordered the construction of the royal estate for himself, most likely after a

successful military campaign.

Much of the farming done at Machu Picchu was done on its hundreds of man-made terraces. These terraces were a work of

considerable engineering, built to ensure good drainage and soil fertility while also protecting the mountain itself from

erosion and landslides. However, the terraces were not perfect, as studies of the land show that there were landslides that

happened during the construction of Machu Picchu.

Over the centuries, the surrounding jungle overgrew the site, and few outside the immediate area knew of its existence.

The site may have been discovered and plundered in 1867 by a German businessman, Augusto Berns.Some evidence indicates that

the German engineer J. M. von Hassel arrived earlier. Maps show references to Machu Picchu as early as 1874