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How Did Machu Picchu Impact The Inca Civilization

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The Inca Empire was the largest civilization in pre-Columbian America. It topped at around 300,000 square miles and was home to many different people. Although the Empire did not last very long (its height was from apx. 1438-1533CE), they had a large impact on the modern world. Through their gorgeous architecture and adaptable infrastructure and agriculture, they were able to make the mountainous regions of modern-day Peru functional. Their abilities to warp laws around the peoples they conquered also helped expand their Empire. The Inca Empire is one of the greatest ancient civilizations based on their innovation. This can be seen through their advancements in architecture, infrastructure and agriculture, and their ability to expand their …show more content…

This style helped create one of the most well-known architectural feats of the ancient world, Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is located at the end of a long ridge descending from Mt. Salcantay, 8,000ft above sea level. Machu Picchu is theorized to be built by order of Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, the ninth Emperor of the Inca. Its buildings are lavish and there is an extensive amount of land for agriculture on the outskirts. “The site’s buildings, walls, terraces, and ramps reclaim the steep mountainous terrain and make the city blend naturally into the rock escarpments on which it is situated.” This style of architecture was widely used by the Inca as they often sought to harmoniously blend their structures into the surrounding landscape. Buildings were shaped to take on the natural contours of the land and mimic other aspects of nature, such as mountains and boulders. Inca architecture was very prominent due to the fact that their stone-work was before its time. Without mortar and proper tools, the Inca managed to create perfectly sculpted stones that fit so tightly such that an object as thin as a razor blade could not be inserted between the stones. The Inca Empire is one of the greatest ancient civilizations based on their innovation through advancements in architecture, infrastructure and agriculture, and their effective political

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