Machu+Picchu+and+Huyana+Picchu

Joey Giola Term: Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu



**Aim**: There has been a long debate between what the point of Machu Picchu is, and why it exists. There are currently 4 different theories on why Machu Picchu exists. The first theory being that it was the last Incan city left standing (LiveScience). It was also rumored to be the legendary lost city of Vilcabamba la Vieja, as Machu Picchu has close to 400 to 500 buildings. The second theory is that the city is was a giant temple for the Virgins of the Sun. It was an entire city devoted to women who worshiped the Incan sun god. The third theory is that the city was one giant royal retreat for the Incan Emperor Pachacuti (History.com). The buildings would then be used to house servants, and people in the Emperor’s royal court. The fourth and last theory on why Machu Picchu exists, is that the city is built onto "holy land" for the Incans. The city is built near Hayana Picchu, which has the Incan’s sacred river flowing around it. All of these reasons of why Machu Picchu existed could all be true however, the most viable reason would be that it was the last surviving Incan city before the Incan empire fell.

**Audience**: The audience of Machu Picchu could be two different groups of people. The first being the actual Incans and the other being tourists. Incans, regardless of the purpose of the city, clearly had a reason to build such a large city on top of a mountain. As explained the Aim section, the reason for building this city is still unknown despite some theories floating around. This could be intended to be a resort for an Emperor or just the last city for the Incan people (LiveScience). The second audience for this city is tourists. This is a big tourist attraction in Peru and as such, generates quite a bit of cash for the country from tourism (History.com). Tourists come here to see the ancient Incan city and generally experience the ruins.

**Cultural**: The cultural value of Machu Picchu to Peru is significant. The place as stated in Audience is a huge tourist attraction for Peru which would bring in quite a bit of tourism money to the surrounding area. The area provides researches plenty of relics and artifacts to study. This includes everything from both human remains to pots (History.com). This site reflects what life was like for the Incan people in either their last city or legendary city. Because of the huge cultural impact that Machu Picchu has, it allows Peru to have the 3rd biggest tourism in the world (History.com). Machu Picchu as well is one of the seven Wonders of the World. The culture that Machu Picchu provides to Peru is huge as it allows researchers more insight into the Incan Empire.


 * Historical: **Machu Picchu has a rich and diverse history behind it. Henry Bingham, a professor who studied South American history, first "discovered" the ruins (History.com). The actual city was built in 1450 or so, and was abandoned in the early 1500s due to the Spanish Conquistadors. When Bingham discovered the city, he brought back news that the city existed. This caught the attention of both Yale and National Geographic. Both of the institutions went to Bingham to examine the lost city. Yale took pots and skeleton remains which has been contested by the Peru government in recent years (History.com). They claim that Yale has no claim over what they found at the site despite the relics being taken nearly 100 years ago. Yale and Peru have been battling over the remains over the past few years.

Sources:

"Machu Picchu." //History.com //. A&E Television Networks. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.

Jarus, By. "Machu Picchu: Facts & History." //LiveScience //. TechMedia Network, 31 Aug. 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.