The classic lost city of Machu Picchu caught in a perfect photograph
Dennis Jarvis captures the classic shot of Machu Picchu Peru – “Machu Picchu means “Old Peak” and the higher Huayna Picchu “Young Peak” stands vigil over it.,” writes Dennis Jarvis.
“It’s remains are in a comparatively good state of preservation because the Spaniards never found it. It was buried in the jungle for centuries, until Hiram Bingham discovered it in 1911. The city remained inaccessible until the 1940s, when the Inca Trail cutting through the valley was discovered.”
“Theories about what happened to the inhabitants range from epidemics to their occupants being isolated at the time of the fall of the Inca Empire. Excavations only added to the mystery to what happened to the city. They found 173 skeletons, of which 150 were woman. At the tomb of the high priest, skeletons of a women and a dog were found. The women suffered from syphilis.”
The mystery of Machu Picchu – how was it built and why did it fail as a city – are explored in several documentaries which you can buy or watch.
Some of the best videos include:
1. Ghosts of Machu Picchu
I can’t explain why Canadians are expected to pay twice as much as Americans for the same DVD but that happens. As the song says you better shop around.
I’ve gotten in the habit of checking Amazon in the USA, Canada and the UK adding in the freight and exchange and buying from the lowest cost. It works. So far the UK is not adding any “expected import charges” which for a mail shipment will normally be nothing.
2. Nova: Ghosts of Machu Picchu [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]
Of the 2 videos, the PBS one is 5 years newer and has the latest theories about the city of Machu Picchu. Both are worth watching. I prefer the PBS style of documentary but that’s just a personal taste.
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