Machu Picchu: The History and Mystery of the Incan City by Jesse Harasta & Charles River Editors

Machu Picchu: The History and Mystery of the Incan City by Jesse Harasta & Charles River Editors

Author:Jesse Harasta & Charles River Editors [Harasta, Jesse]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Charles River Editors
Published: 2013-06-02T16:00:00+00:00


An Incan Double Jamb Doorway

This building at Machu Picchu has trapezoidal windows. Photo by Martin St-Amant.

One of the more enigmatic and interesting constructs in the complex is the stone monolith that Bingham named the "Intihuatana," a Quechua term he coined that roughly translates to "Hitching Post of the Sun." It takes the form of an upright stone set on a large shaped base, and the entire construct stands on top of an elevated platform made of several terraces. The stone's many sides are masterfully carved to both mimic the form of Mount Machu Picchu in the distance but also to track the movements of the sun in regards to Solstices and Equinoxes. At one time, these stone sculptures were found throughout Incan territory and were central to the empire's official sun cult, but the Spanish destroyed almost all of them, so the Intihuatana of Machu Picchu is that much more invaluable as an archaeological remain. Also important is the fact that this Intihuatana is similar to one that still remains in the village of PĂ­sac in the valley below, as well as the fact that the two are aligned with each other, creating an even-more complex celestial system.[22]



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