“YEAR OF 

HEALTH CARE UNIVERSALIZATION”

MACHU PICCHU: One of the Seven Wonders of the

World
By ALEJOS CHUQUI, Sandy Rocio

CONVERSATION I

SCHEDULE: 6:00 – 10:00 PM

TEACHER: LIC. CABANILLAS LUNA Jhonatan

Nuevo. Chimbote – 2020

 INTRODUCTION

This monograph, Machu Picchu one of the Seven Wonders of the World, at the same

time a masterpiece of architecture and engineering. Its peculiar architectural and

landscape characteristics and the veil of mystery that has woven around it much of the

literature published on the site, have made it one of the most popular tourist destinations

on the planet.

Is it divided into three chapters, in the first part, you read about the consideration of

Machu Picchu, in the 7 wonders of the world, in the second one, you read about the

daily life that was done in Machu Picchu, as well as it is location, transportation and

tourism to visit the place, in the last one, you have read about the best places in the Inca

city, attractions that stand out from the rest, either for its architectural beauty, for it is

natural beauty.

To get to visit Machu Picchu you can only get to the place on foot, by train or by

helicopter; the most visitors visit by train from nearby Cusco

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………..……i

I. New wonder of the world………………………………………………........ 1

II. History………………………………………………………………..……... 2

2.1. Daily life in Machu Picchu………………………..………………....… 3

2.2. Site………………………………………………………………….…..3

2.3. Agriculture…………………………………………………..….... …... 4

2.4. Roads and transportation……………………………………….…….… 5

2.5. Tourism…………………………………………………………….……5

III. Best sights in Machu Picchu ……………………………..........................… 6

Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………..… 9

Bibliography…………………………………………………………………...…… 10
I. NEW WONDER OF THE WORLD

The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu was chosen on July 7, 2007 as the fourth of

the New 7 Wonders of the Modern

World for embodying "the spirit of

community and dedication", in an

imposing ceremony held at the La

Luz stadium, in Lisbon Portugal.

The New 7 Wonders of the Modern

World in random order are the

following:

 The Great Wall of China.

 The city of Petra (Jordan).

 The Christ the Redeemer of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

 The citadel of Machu Picchu (Peru).

 The pyramid of Chichen Itza (Mexico).

 The Colosseum in Rome (Italy).

 The Taj Mahal (India).

The proclamation of the New Seven Wonders was made within the framework

of a massive spectacle in the largest stadium in Portugal.

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II. HISTORY

II.1. DAILY LIFE IN MACHU PICCHU

During its use as a royal estate, it is estimated that about 750 people lived there,

with most serving as support staff (yanaconas, yana), who lived there

permanently. Though the estate

belonged to Pachacutec, religious

specialists and temporary

specialized workers (mayocs)

lived there as well, most likely

for the ruler's well-being and

enjoyment.

There were also varying

osteological stressors and varying chemical densities suggesting varying long-

term diets characteristic of specific regions that were spaced apart. These diets

are composed of varying levels of maize, potatoes, grains, legumes, and fish, but

the overall most recent short-term diet for these people was composed of less

fish and more corn.

Animals are also suspected to have immigrated to Machu Picchu as there were

several bones found that were not native to the area. Most animal bones found

were from llamas and alpacas.

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II.2. SITE

The site is roughly divided into an urban sector and an agricultural sector, and

into an upper town and a lower town. The temples are in the upper town, the

warehouses in the lower.

The architecture is adapted to the

mountains. Approximately 200

buildings are arranged on wide

parallel terraces around an east–

west central square.

The various compounds, called kanchas, are long and narrow in order to exploit

the terrain. Sophisticated channeling systems provided irrigation for the fields.

Stone stairways set in the walls allowed access to the different levels across the

site. The eastern section of the city was probably residential.

The western, separated by the square, was for religious and ceremonial purposes.

This section contains the Torreón, the massive tower which may have been used

as an observatory.

The Popular District, or Residential District, is the place where the lower-class

people lived. It includes storage buildings and simple houses.

The approach to moving and placing the enormous stones remains uncertain,

probably involving hundreds of men to push the stones up inclines. A few stones

have knobs that could have been used to lever them into position; the knobs

were generally sanded away, with a few overlooked.

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 II.3. AGRICULTURE

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. Still visible are places where the terraces

were shifted by landslides and then stabilized by the Inca as they continued to

build around the area.

It is estimated that the of rain, which was more than needed to support crop

growth there. Because of the large amount of rainfall at Machu Picchu, it was

found that irrigation was not needed for the terraces. The terraces received so

much rain that they were built by Incan engineers specifically to allow for ample

drainage of the extra water.

II.4. ROADS AND TRANSPORTATION

The Inca road system included a route to the Machu Picchu region. The people

of Machu Picchu were connected to long-distance trade, as shown by non-local

artifacts found at the site.

Thousands of tourists walk the Inca Trail to visit Machu Picchu each year. They

congregate at Cusco before starting on the one, two, four- or five day journey on

foot from kilometer.

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II.5. TOURISM

Machu Picchu is both a cultural

and natural UNESCO World

Heritage Site. As Peru's most

visited tourist attraction and

major revenue generator, it is

continually exposed to economic

and commercial forces. In the

late 1990s, the Peruvian

government granted concessions to allow the construction of a cable car and a

luxury hotel, including a tourist complex with boutiques and restaurants and a

bridge to the site. Many people protested the plans, including Peruvians and

foreign scientists, saying that more visitors would pose a physical burden on the

ruins. In 2018, plans were restarted to again construct a cable car to encourage

Peruvians to visit Machu Picchu and boost domestic tourism. A no-fly zone

exists above the area. UNESCO is considering putting Machu Picchu on its List

of World Heritage in Danger.

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III. BEST SIGHTS IN MACHU PICCHU

 The Sun Gate (Inti Punku)

Considered to be one of the most important features of Machu Picchu, the stairs

leading up to the Sun Gate are believed to have been used as a control port for

people entering and exiting the city.

 Climb Huayna Picchu

The dry season in Machu Picchu goes from May to October; the climate during

this time is dry most of the time, especially in the months of June, July and

August.

 The Inca Bridge

 Built as a secret entrance for the Incan army, the bridge is carved into a cliff face

on the west route out of Machu Picchu.

 Watchman’s Hut

After entering the city you’ll see the Watchman’s Hut. This is the perfect place

to get a fantastic view over the whole city and should not be missed.

 The Funerary Stone

Just outside the Watchman’s Hut lies a strangely carved rock known as the

Funerary Stone

 Temple of the Sun

One of the best places to visit. Located next to the main fountain, the Temple of

the Sun demonstrates some of Machu Picchu’s finest stone work.

 Royal Tomb – Palace of the Princess

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 Located right next to the Temple of the Sun is the Royal tomb or Palace of the

Princess. Hiram Bingham, the discoverer of Machu Picchu, described the outer

wall of the building as the finest wall in all of the Americas

 The Fountains

Fed from natural spring waters by 750 metres of stone channels, Machu Picchu

is alive with little fountains that fill over 16 baths! It is thought that the baths

were used for purification and ritual ablutions, however, this is not known for

certain.

 The Temple of Three Windows

Located in the royal sector, the Temple of the Three Windows is the first of the

three buildings that comprise it, what Bingham described as, the "Sacred Plaza".

Like other buildings in the royal sector, the Temple of the Three Windows is

made up of much larger blocks of stone.

 The Principal Temple

The second building in Binghma’s Sacred Plaza is the Principal Temple, so

named because of its large size. The building is a three sided edifice with

beautifully cut stone and enormous foundation blocks.

 House of the High Priest

The third structure in the Sacred Plaza is the House of the High Priest. Although

not clear if the high priest actually lived here, this is the only foundation in the

plaza to have four walls.

 House of Ornaments (Sacristy)

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 Considered by many to be the finest building in Machu Picchu. The Sacristy was

a room used to store ornaments as can be seen by the many niches dotted around

the room.

 Intihuatana

One of the most recognizable locations in Machu Picchu, Intihuatana was used

by the Inca people as a sundial to predict solstices.

 Central Plaza

This is the large grassy area that separates the residential buildings from the

functional buildings. You’ll often spot the odd llama or two grazing here.

Generally, authorities will not allow people on the grass.

 Terraces

No trip to Machu Picchu would be complete without visiting the many terraces

that drop down the side of the ancient city. You can walk along many of these

green alleyways and they make the perfect spot for a nice rest and beautiful

view.

 The sacred rock

This giant and intriguing stone takes the shape of Putucusi Mountain that sits

directly behind it.

Researches are unsure what the rock was used for but one theory is that poetry

and musical recitals took place in front of the stone

 The mortar/industrial section

Although not as interesting or intricate as the rest of the site, the industrial area

is by far the largest section within Machu Picchu and is where the average Inca

Person would have lived

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  The prison group

A complex set of rooms and passages make up the area where prisoners would

have been kept.

Inca prisoners were kept both above and under ground, sometimes in deep holes

with cell doors.

CONCLUSION

 Machu Picchu was chosen one of the 7 wonders of the world in 2007, it is built

between Machu Picchu mountain and Huayna Picchu mountain, is one of the

most popular destination for thousands of people from all over the world. This

place has so many cultural, historical, natural charms and many more; reasons

why it has become the ultimate destination for many travelers.

 Machu Picchu is the most famous archaeological site in Peru, it is known as: the

Inca city, the sacred city, the lost city of the Incas. Machu Picchu is a magical

place with impressive architecture, its walls and the gigantic stones with which it

was built. Even today, it remains a mystery how their builders managed to bring

immense blocks of stone to the top of the mountain and build such a beautiful

city.

 To make a tour in Machu Picchu you must take into account the weather, so it is

considered that the best time is between April and October, which is the dry

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 season but the warmest season is from November to March, but it also

corresponds to the rainy season.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Jarus, Owen (2012). "Machu Picchu: Facts & History - Abandonment of Machu

Picchu". Live Science. Retrieved from: https://www.livescience.com/22869-

machu-picchu.html

 Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Historic Sanctuary of Machu

Picchu". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved from:

http://www.unesco.org/new/es/media-services/multimedia/photos/machu-

picchu/

 Burger, Richard L.; Salazar, Lucy C. (2004). Machu Picchu: Unveiling the

Mystery of the Incas. Retrieved from: https://books.google.com.pe/books?

id=bBHrWwtr_pYC&pg=PR7&dq=history+of+machu+picchu&redir_esc=y&hl

=es#v=onepage&q=history%20of%20machu%20picchu&f=false

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 Bingham, Hiram (1952). Lost City of the Incas. Retrieved from:

https://archive.org/details/lostcityofincass00bing/page/112/mode/2up

  Dan Collyns (6 June 2008). "Machu Picchu ruin 'found earlier'".  Retrieved

from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7439397.stm

 Trek guide (2019). Things To Do In Machu Picchu – 18 Must-See Sights!,

Retrieved from: https://www.machupicchutrek.net/things-to-do-in-machu-picchu/

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