SACRED MOUNTAINS SURROUNDING MACHUPICCHU.
HUAYNAPICCHU
Located to the north of machupicchu at 2750 m.a.s.l
MACHUPICCHU
Located to the south east of machupicchu at at 3000 m.a.s.l
VISCACHANI
Located to the west of macchupicchu at 2800 m.a.s.l
Viscachani comes from “viscacha”, it’s a small animal similar to the guinea pig.
If you see of a specific point of the site you will notice clearly that this mountain has the viscacha shape.
PUTUCUSI
Located to the east of machupicchu at 2650 m.a.s.l
The national institute of culture of cusco has autorized the way or road directed toward the putucusi summit(peak) starting in aguas calientes.
This kind of activities was realized since incas time.
The mountains represent the “Apus” and “Aukis dwellings that are spirits of other dimension with the power of guardianship the town destiny.
Only the Incas priest (called paqos) had the faculty to stablish contact with them at witch the priest used to go up to the mountain to give the sacred coca leaf as offerings in their temples. This priest used to consult and ask them for some important activities to undertake.
DEFINITION OF PAQO
A man with a special power for curing and seing the past, present and future. This power you can take by heritage, by transmision of generation in generation or when you’re touched bye the lightning. If it doesn’t kill you, it could give you special abilities.
ABOUT ANDENES.
These platforms,both large and small, were built on the hillside for the purposesof agricultural production,decoration, organization of space and erosion control. They also are part of the architectural design.
Each structure had retaining wall inside of which where separete layers filled with stones, gravel (residue from carved stone ), sand and humus soil, the stone layers as support .while the gravel helped to draing excessive water providing roots with moisture yet proventing rot; sand layers worked to filter as the water drained to lower level. the humus soil was used for crop cultivation . these terraces did not have their own irrigation system. they depend on rainfall which was very constant in this zone. neither lagoons nor streems were nearby, only sprint which was variety.
The incas had development of diverses complex tecnologies that permit the magsimum explotation of the ground in adverse situations:
Arid coasts (wild).
Rural mountain or untamed mountain.
An impregnable jungle.
Phenomenons that suffer the peruvian territory.
Earthquakes.
Droughts, etc
CONSTRUCTIONS OR BUILDINGS.
The inca people used to split the stones and rocks with a special tool called hermatita.
They used to put wedges of hardwood on the stones and after that they used to pour some water above them and becouse of this the hardwood started to swell up and consecuently split the stones.
The incas people have usedThe percussion tecnic and it has served to get rid of the protuberances of the rocks and stones.
The big stones were dragged in special ramps directed by mitimaes.
The bigger stones were dragged with ropes to be finally put in the correct position.
AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
THE PLACE OF VIGILANCE
Here we can see a construction of three walls; it has three windows where we can apreciate clearly the urban sector, agricultural sector and surrounding.
This precint had served to control the acces toward machupicchu city who is directed by the inca official.
FUNERAL ROCK
This is a granitic stone carved with special rungs, if you see above the flat part it could have served to put a person in ulna dorsal.
Many archeologists have found human remains that are burial realized surrounding this place.
They used to realize funeral rituals with mommyfied corpses. It was utilized to do many ritual sacrifices to offer to the pachamama.
At the northwest of this funeral stone we can see a misterious hoop finelly carved, it migth have served to tie the sacrificed animal.
APACHETAS
Here we can see a lot of short stones brougth of diferent parts of andean places of all tahuantinsuyo they are not of this place, for example here we can find stones of volcan origin, limestone, sandstone and boulder, so it’s probable in the inca time these short stones were brouth as offerings by the pilgrims, actually this tradition, is commom or mormal in cusco.(Coylloritti and huanca), the andean people carry some offerings in the principal day.
THE CALLANK’AS
Well, can you see that big precinct?, that’s called kallank’a, as you see this one has 8 entrances directed to the east , it has a spacious plant; it could have served to shelter the inca leader and his entourage who are coming for visitng this incan city.
LLAQTA PUNKU
Okay guys please, this one is the Llaqta punku, llaqta means town or city and punku means door, ok?
At the rigth and left we can apreciate two small trunks and inside of them two small cilindrical stones, above lintel we can see another small inlaid in the wall(like a small hoop), definetelly the principal function was to tie the door made by hard trunks.
QOLQAS
We can see diferent buildings of two levels they have windows with considerated dimenssion.
The principal function of these bildings or qolqas have served such as a offerings warehouse of the incas.
THE QUARRY STONES (RUMIQOLQA)
The geogolist Carlos Calafatovich pressume that this one is the acumation of diferent kind of stones produced by the geologic chaos of ancient landslides.
Here we can see green granitic stone that are compounded by feldespar, quartz and mica, we can also see gray slab, green cilindrical stones that were extracted of the high part of machupicchu hill and surrounding.
In 1975, Carlos Kalafatovich and another geologist of UNSAAC university of Cusco made simulations about how the inca people had realized the polish and the split of the stones.
The incas people had a special tecnic to build their palaces, temples, etc.
Firstly they thrust wood wedges to split the stones inmediately after they used to pour water, later the wood start to swell up.
Some time the incas people thrust hematita wedges and jiwaya wedges to split the stones.
To smooth the stones they used the percussion tecnic.
The biggest stones were dragged with ropes in special ramps.
One thing to admire must be that they never used morter or another kind of cement to put stone over stone.
THE PRINCIPAL SPACE OR THE SACRED SQUARE.
we are located in the sacred square, over this place the principal inca people and the inca priest had realized the general rituals and the general ceremonies in honour to their devinities or deidities.
The historian Chavez Ballon(1978), said, over the principal square had existed an enigmatic monolit and it was destroyed.
In 1978 the central goverment of cusco had autorized to demolish this monolit becouse of have landed the crew members of spaniard governors on this principal square ( carlos and sofia).
THE PRINCIPAL TEMPLE
This is the principal temple, this one has an important rectangular plant of three walls.
the lateral walls has 5 trapezoidal niches. This precint is symetrical and harmonically located in the same high.
The central wall has 7 niches and 6 pegs, these pegs would have served to put and hang their offerings and decoratives objects respectevelly.
this precint is dedicated to the Wiracocha god.
As you see, below this one you can see a rectangular litic rock, similar to the altar, in the inca time this altar was decorated with coloring cloaks and above this one there were idols, mommies of the incas gobernors and the principal deidity called PUNCHAO such as small sculptere.
Do you see this small stone?
This is a sculpture representing the cross of south.
In the south hemisphere every june 21 at the solstice of winter this small stone cast shadow producing the face of a lama drinking.
THE TEMPLE OF THE TRHEE WINDOWS
Ok guys look please, this is the temple of the three windows, as you look this one is directed to the east
At the central part we can see a pillar, and above the lateral walls some cavities, altogether.
Those have served to hold up the beam to support the roofing.
The cronicler juan de santa cruz pachacuteq llanqui Salcamayhua, in his book “relation of antiquities of peru kingdom”, say:
after manko capac succes, he ordered to build “ the origin place of birth of the four ayar brothers”, it being a masonry wall with 3 windows, this place would be the parents house of the incas.
For this reason the argentino Juan Larrea and hiram binghan suposse that this precint was dedicated to the origin place of the incas.
The cronicler Waman Poma de Ayala (1613) represent in one of his drawing “ the paqarina – tamputoqo” “ origin place of the incas birth”, similar to this temple, Waman also drawwed a staggered symbol and the intiwatana of machupicchu.
Can you see this staggered symbol?, in the inca time it had represented the andean cosmovision and andean philosophy expressed in its three dimenssion:
UKHU PACHA
Represent the interior world, the underground or interior life.
KAY PACHA
The superfice of the land, the worldly, the terrenal world.
HANAN PACHA
Spiritual world, the heaven, the spiruality.
THE TRIOLOGY OF THE VALUES
Ama llulla
Ama quella
Ama suwa
Allinta munay
Allinta yachay
Allinta yankay
Ayni
Mita
Minka
So the three dimenssion of the andean philosophy and the andean cosmovission give us the way to get the social equilibrium and the individual equilibrium to go to the hanan pacha where lives our god.
THE SACRISTY OR BACK ENCLOUSURE ( ORNAMENTAL HALL)
Here we can apreciate the best stonework made by the inkas alarifes.
This impressive building show us the fine stonemasonry.
Probabelly this place served such as ornaments hall where in this altar and in these niches the principal priests hung their offerings and sacred elements for carrying toward principal temples of the main square.
MACHUPICCHU BUILDING MODEL
As you look this model of machupicchu building has represented the area of the city, the vilcanota river, the pitucusi and waynapicchu mountain.
What do you think?
Do you think alarifes incas this litic formation made?
The incas people had used this kind of models to build whatever construction, for this reason this litic formation is a model of machupicchu city.
In incan time this litic formation was considered an “illa”, waca “sacred objects” so; if you see the floor you will see an altar where the principal inca people put their offerings.
INTIWATANA
Intiwatana was used firstly by george squier in 1877
But the correct name should be Sayhua or Sukanka.
An impressive granitic rock directed to the each side of the 4 cardinal points; probabely it was an important astronomical observatory during the solistice of capac raymi.
HYPOTHESIS
SOLAR CLOCK
The sunlight to cast a shadow that advance so slowly doing a circle similar to the clock for this reason it is considered solar clock but it’s an illogical opinion because the inca people didn’t need to have special tool to see the hours… they always have calculated their time of the days of weken seing the sun.
ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY
Look please, we can see 4 corners divided in the cardinal points, its vertex and and its sides has astronomical function.
Every february 14 and october 30 (solstice of summer and equinoccial of sprint), at moon we can apreciate the highest point of the sun.
The north american astronomer Raymond White mention that machupicchu construction is astronomically aligned and its levels represent the constelations such as south cross, the pleyades, etc
ROCK OF ENERGY
Machupicchu is a special place in the world where flow a possitive energy and the principal point of this emanation is the famous Intiwatana (esoterics cuesquenian).
In the incan time the intiwatana was called “pacha unanchaq”, its principal function has served such a Sayhua or Sukhanka(geometrical sculpture or pyramidal structure).
In many places of cusco there were astronomical observatories points.
In solstice of winter and solstice of summer the inca people used to realice many rituals including the sacrifice of a black lama. The willaq uhma priest and his entourage only they had the acces to these special places without shoes or barefoot and in fasting to do their ceremonies.
Probabelly the inca people put above the intiwatana their principal idol called “Punchao” and later the priest used to realize the ceremony.
THE SACRED ROCK (WANKA)
Okay gays; here we can see the sacred rock, as you see below this big stone you can apreciate a long altar it could have served to do their rituals, ceremonies and put the offerings dedicated to APU YANANTIN Deidity.
If you see at the sides you are going to see 2 wayranas, it has served to shelter to the inkas priest that they had to realize their ceremonies.
Esoterically this rock has a high grade of magnetic energy so that you could get the spiritual meditation and concentration.
Similar to this stone we can find in another andean places at which they are called PAQARINAS it means the existencial origin point of a determinated group of people.
When the spaniards arrived to cusco, many of these stones were transformed in catholic sanctuaries similar to the sir of huanca or qolloritti sanctuary.
Actually there are many andean places where exist a big stone at midway of the ground.
These kind of stones are considered the security guard of the grounds
THE YACHAY WASI (KNOWLEDGE HOUSE)
This was an intellectual neighborhood, on this place could have lived the inca masters and their disciples.
This place was where the inca young people recieved the teaching of the masters called amautas, the amautas were wise people with the goal teaching the young inca people, the young inca people should be preparate to be the next king of the empire.
ACLLA WASI ( THE TEMPLE OF THE VIRGIN OF SUN)
This temple is surrounded by a fine stonemasonry, as you look it has a principal door of double jamb so that it was the principal entrance.
As you see, behind this door exist two trunks they were part of its security machanism.
On this place, could have lived the MAMACUNAS and the ACLLAS, the mamacunas were simillar to the teacher and the acllas were simillar to the nuns, (virgin of the sun), they used to realice monastic activities, domestic labors, they made up garments and cloaks confection likewise they used to preparate the sacred beverage called CHICHA, and the food too.
ROOM OF THE MORTARS(MIRROW OF ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY)
Okay gays here you can see two recipients in round shape carved in a natural outcrop of granitic stone ( similar to two bowls).
Here the priest used to realize many liturgical activities, on this mortars the priest spilled the sacred water brough of the sacred lakes.
The morters were made of ceramic, wood and stone.
To realize ceremonies with this morters the inca people used to bring water of sacred lakes and rivers.
In inca time this morters have served to realize the astronomical observatory of the Sun, Moon, Stars such a reflection of the water.
The energetic influence of the moon into the woman.
The acllas used these cochas to do their diverses rituals in honour to the mama quilla. This retuals have been realized depending the periods and phenomenons of the moon.
The cochas had served such as astronomical observatories. Before this activity, the acllas realized prayers, lived in fast doing canticles of adoration, imploring succes in the agriculture to the mama quilla.
For example: never give up ( leave), help them to strenghen their virginity.
THE TEMPLE OF THE CONDOR
Okay gays, we are located in the temple of the condor, as you know this one is directed toward the east.
This sculpture is finelly carved in a condor shape.
This is the head, the body, the peak, the collar and his two ayes, rigth?
Can you see this orifice? It had served to put the offerings. The principal priest, used to spill the sacred CHICHA (rawin ajha= the first cup of chicha), or the blood of some sacrificed animal.
Those two rocks are its enormous wings.
LEFT WING
Can you see these three niches with orifices?
Below this one you can find a long altar, this place is called “ The punishment place or tortures place”. Arqueologically this place is considered as funeral niches used to put the mommies during the funeral rituals.
As you look on this temple had been realized funeral rituals, the body was mommified and was put in this niches to simbolize the transfer of the spirit toward the eternity. So the condor was the messenger between the Kay pacha and Hanan pacha.
Behind this condor there are an entrance where we can see another funeral niche when it was excavated there had ceramic remains, cuy bones and lama bones.
THE TEMPLE OF THE SUN
As you see this window directed to the northem has enigmatic orifices and steggered designs.
Qoricancha “the temple of the sun” has a similar window “a big niche”, this niche was inlaid by precious small stones, the inca priest used to hang gold threads representing sacred symbols.
Below this temple we can see rituals fountains used such as bath of purifications.
To the east and southeast exist two small window.
One serve to catch the sunligth of the solstice of winter and the other one serve to catch the sun light of solctice of summer.
In the inca time only the principal priest may go into this temple, they usually had big ceremonies, previously the priest lived in fasting having abtinences, doing rituals purifications.
Above this altar burned the sacred fire at which this was guarded by the principal priest and his entourage, this fire used to renovate ritually in the solstices.
REAL TOMB OR INKA TOMB
As you know, this tomb is directed to the east.
This was the tomb of one of the principal monarchs called “PACHACUTEQ” .
This tomb was an adoratory place decorated with policrom cloaks, flowers with gold and silver decorations.
This lithic pegs have served to hang ornamental objects dedicated to pachacuteq.
If you see this stone bleachers the inca people thougth this was the principal way to the Hanan Pacha.
Inside this tomb you can see staggered symbols that represent the PACHAMAMA.
