History of Machu Picchu

Archaeological evidence found around the site indicates that the area was first used for agricultural purposes in 760 BC.

In 1440, the Vilcambamba Pachacutec War established the first settlement in the area. It was called the Empire of Tahuantinsuyo and was followed by the formation of the government of Manco Capac.

It is believed that Machu Picchu was originally inhabited by 300-1000 people from the highest class.

The valleys around these areas were important for their contribution to agriculture, but after the death of Emperor Pachacutec, they lost importance with the establishment of new sites such as It’s okay and Vilcambamba. The construction of these new sites by his successors in a more accessible area made Machu Picchu less attractive.

From 1527 to 1532, the two brothers Huascar and Atahualpa fought against each other in a civil war over the Inca Empire. Their father, Inca Huayna Capac, had given each brother a part of the empire to rule, one in Huascar in Cuzco and one in Quito to Atahualpa. When Huayna Capac and his successor Ninan Cuyuchi died between 1525 and 1527, the two brothers, Atahualpa and Huascar, went to war over who would rule. People who came to live in the Machu Picchu region from the countryside or remote areas returned to their destination after the end of the war. Later, another brother, Manco Inca, was exiled to Vilcambambama and Machu Picchu was abandoned.

Antonio Raimondi was an Italian geographer and scientist from Milan who visited Machu Picchu in 1851. In 1867, Augusto Burns came to mine the area.

Hiram Bingham rediscovered the ruins in 1911. He documented and publicized his “discovery”.

Hiram Bingham

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