The exact purpose of Machu Picchu during the reign of the Incas is still debated.
Due to its proximity to Cusco, some archaeologists consider Machu Picchu to be used as a vacation spot for the city’s aristocrats. Others argue it’s like for crop testing, trading, or maybe even prison.
However, archaeologists project that Machu Picchu could only accommodate 750 people, and only 200 skeletons have been found. This low population size — attributed to the religious structures on site — led researchers to believe that Machu Picchu’s purpose was for spiritual and ceremonial traditions.
Along those lines, skulls were found lengthwise on the grounds of Machu Picchu, in graves for nobles. It is believed that the Inca nobles elongated their skulls to prove their dominance, which is similar to the Mayan culture.
However, historian Donato Amado’s notion that “Machu Picchu was where the Incas ruled their kingdom” also makes sense.
There are many mysteries of Machu Picchu, including who built the ancient fortress more than 2,400 meters above sea level, in the middle of the beautiful Andes.
To this day, it is believed that the ruler of the ninth Inca, Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, built Machu Picchu in the mid-15th century after defeating his enemies.
Another great mystery of Machu Picchu is how it was constructed without wheels. Although the Incas are believed to have known of the wheel, they never used it.
Many of the large granite boulders used in the fort’s construction had to be moved up the steep Andes mountains to be installed.
What’s more, the stones can stick together so tightly and not the slightest crack can be seen between them, which is important for earthquake prone zones.
To do so, one theory suggests applying a wet wooden wedge. However, it does not explain how large structures made of single stones or structures made of intricate patterns came into being.
With all of these factors in mind, collaborations of superior races or more advanced beings that predate the Incas could have occurred, especially since the older masonry at the bottom of the structure and walls were heavier and more finely carved.
There are questions to this day that have no answers, and it is this that has attracted thousands of people to visit the fort to find answers.
