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Machu Picchu Research Paper

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Machu Picchu Research Paper
What Happened to Machu Picchu?

What happened to Machu Picchu? Some say the people of this mysterious city died off from disease. Others say the people were killed off in wartimes. There are many theories about why Machu Picchu was built, and what happened to the people that lived there. We will explore what is known about this fascinating place, who discovered it, and what is believed to have happened to its inhabitants so long ago.
Some people believed that Machu Picchu was the very birthplace of the Inca people, or a place set apart for the chosen Virgins of the Sun, or perhaps the last capital of the Inca Empire.3 One theory about the actual use of Machu Picchu was that it was used as an Incan settlement, built with the express purpose of protecting Incan aristocracy from attacks.6 There are many theories on what Machu Picchu was used for, …show more content…
As small pox descended upon the Incan peoples, approximately two-thirds succumbed to the disease. One of the Incans that was felled by this scourge was the emperor Huayna Capac. When the emperor died, war broke out amongst the brothers of Capac. They fought for control of the empire.
In 1532, the Spanish conquistador Pizarro and his fleet arrived. After smallpox and civil war, the Incans were too weak to fight them off. It is believed that Machu Picchu was abandoned at this time, and the remaining Incans were assimilated into the villages of Peru.
After Bingham discovered Machu Picchu, visitors were allowed into this reverent place. In 1981, the Peruvian government created the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu3 There are countless species of orchids and animals. In 1983, the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List of sites that hold special cultural and natural significance for humanity.3 Machu Picchu has also been considered as one of the “New” Seven Wonders of the
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