The History of Machu Picchu – The Lost Years

After the fall of the Incas of Vilcabamba in 1572,  the Spanish consolidated their power over Cuzco and with it, the viceroyality of Peru was converted into the most important political power in Latin America.

During the XVII and XIX centuries, Machu Picchu was maintained within different economic juristictions known as encomiendas, whose only purpose was to provide peasants for forced labor and the collection of tribute for the Spanish crown. Due to the abandonment of Incan roads which comprised the route toward the Picchu Valley, the municipality was outside of the economic axes of the Viceroyality of Peru.

Widely ignored by the colonial regiment, no sign of religion or ownership was established within the locality of Machu Picchu, such as cathedrals constructed on top of indigenous temples. However, the few peasants that lived in the vicinity produced more than in the nearby towns, for which reason Machu Picchu attracted an agricultural interest in the encomiendas.

However, due to the difficulty of access to the area, Machu Picchu was not colonized by the Spanish. Lands that were not cultivated were converted little by little into the lush, sylvan forest.

The Years before discovery

In 1865, a little more than 50 years after the independence of Peru, the naturist Antonio Raimondi passed by Machu Picchu, but he was not able to discern the ruins because his interests were not archeological in nature. Then, in 1867, a German businessman founded a mining company in order to recover the treasures which supposedly existed among the ruins. The company operated for approximately three years and sold golden objects to European and North American collectors.

In 1870, the North American Harry Singer located the Machu Picchu hill on a map for the first time, and in 1880 the French explorer Charles Wiener confirmed the existence of archeological remains in the center of the valley, but he was not able to approach the area due to the lush vegetation.

With these clues, the rediscovery of Machu Picchu was near indeed.

Imágenes: Pasaporte Blog, Taringa

Tags Blogalaxia: Machu Picchu History Photos Peru Tourism Cuzco Incan Empire

The History of Machu Picchu – The Lost Years4.551

Related posts

1. History of Machu Picchu: The Resistance
2. History of Machu Picchu – The Rediscovery
3. History of Macchu Picchu: Inca Time
4. Temple of the Sun at Machu Picchu: A Scientific and Religious Center
5. The Importance of Cuzco and Its Role in Modern American History
6. Cusco: a city with history
7. The mystical origin of Cuzco
8. History of wool and Peruvian textiles
9. A Brief Explanation on the Inca’s use of Astronomy
10. The origin of Andean Culture: The migrations