Uploaded March 2020 | Updated September 2026, 7 hours ago
Machu Picchu Peru, History And Facts
From things it had, to things it didn't have, and the mystery behind it all, join me as I reveal to you some interesting facts and history about Machu Picchu!
8. Where Are The Marketplaces?
Machu Picchu is arguably one of the most interesting and revealing places in the world. Why? Because it's through this city that we got to take a look inside the Incan Empire. This was a tribe that ruled a lot of South America for some time, including Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, and more. And yet, for a while, we didn't know that much about them, until we found Machu Picchu.
This was one of the biggest cities in the empire, and as such, we're able to discern a lot from it. And yet, one of the biggest shocks of the discovery of the city is one that flies in the face of virtually every other civilization in the world.
How so? Well, in this city, and apparently in all the other cities in the empire, they didn't have marketplaces. Which makes you wonder how they bought food, traded items, or even just interacted with one another. Numerous civilizations built their cities around a marketplace, yet the Incas didn't, why?
And before you say something like, "maybe that's why they aren't around anymore", that's not true. They were driven out by Spanish invaders. Before then, they ruled for hundreds of years without issue.
So what is the explanation for this major mystery? We honestly don't know. It's very possible that the Incas were ones who did their buying and trading in different ways. Ways that wouldn't require a marketplace per se. What they were...may just be lost to time. But it is a very curious thing, because again, every other society had them, and we base all of our societies today around a place to get food and water and items. So why didn't they? What made their societies work without them?
We may never know.
7. The Vastness Of The Incas
While Machu Picchu may be a focal point for the nation, the Incas themselves are just as much a mystery in certain ways as other early civilizations. Especially when you consider that they not only made Machu Picchu, but a vast empire that many are still discovering, or should I say "rediscovering" to this day. And everything we find about them is that they were much more organized and intelligent than some are willing to admit.
If you're curious about where and when they came from, that would be the Cusco region of Peru in the 13th century. But they didn't just stay in Peru, they went across much of what is now South America and made a vast empire for themselves. One that is said to be about a 300,000 square mile area to house everyone in. And this included going into other tribes and assimilating them into the culture at large.
By the time they were done "growing" they had anywhere between 3 and 12 MILLION people within their empire. There's honestly no way of knowing which is the real number, or even if it was somewhere in the middle.
They lorded over their real, which they dubbed, “the Four Corners Together,” and within that realm were 20,000 miles of roads, provincial governors, granaries and storehouses, high-altitude agriculture, and an economic system called mit'a, where citizens provided labor, goods, or military service to the state in exchange for food and protection.
So what happened to the Inca? Well, that technically isn't too much of a mystery. The answer there is the Spaniards. During that time, Francisco Pizarro and the Spanish Conquistadors came and fought against the native tribes in order to get treasures and more for Spain, as well as claim lands for their own.
The Inca were defeated, but unlike certain other cultures, they fought to the bitter end. All the way up until 1972 when their last great city was captured. Still though, their remains and their homes are scattered across the forests of South America, and they're still being discovered to this day. Not unlike Machu Picchu.
6. When Was Machu Picchu Rediscovered?
Sometimes, you find the best archaeological finds in the weirdest of places and times. And sometimes, these finds aren't ones you simply dig up, but rather, just stumble upon. After all, if you don't know where to look for something, it might just go unnoticed for hundreds of years. Don't believe me? Well, I present to you, Machu Picchu.
This complex was made by the Incas as we noted, and can be found on a mountainside in Peru. Which explains why many people never found it, including some conquering armies like the Conquistadors. Which is actually rather impressive given that this site is 126 square miles in area. That's very big, and yet, it wasn't rediscovered until 1911.
As for who went and found it again, that would be due to an American named Hiram Bingham.
Machu Picchu Peru, History And Facts
From things it had, to things it didn't have, and the mystery behind it all, join me as I reveal to you some interesting facts and history about Machu Picchu!
8. Where Are The Marketplaces?
Machu Picchu is arguably one of the most interesting and revealing places in the world. Why? Because it's through this city that we got to take a look inside the Incan Empire. This was a tribe that ruled a lot of South America for some time, including Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, and more. And yet, for a while, we didn't know that much about them, until we found Machu Picchu.
This was one of the biggest cities in the empire, and as such, we're able to discern a lot from it. And yet, one of the biggest shocks of the discovery of the city is one that flies in the face of virtually every other civilization in the world.
How so? Well, in this city, and apparently in all the other cities in the empire, they didn't have marketplaces. Which makes you wonder how they bought food, traded items, or even just interacted with one another. Numerous civilizations built their cities around a marketplace, yet the Incas didn't, why?
And before you say something like, "maybe that's why they aren't around anymore", that's not true. They were driven out by Spanish invaders. Before then, they ruled for hundreds of years without issue.
So what is the explanation for this major mystery? We honestly don't know. It's very possible that the Incas were ones who did their buying and trading in different ways. Ways that wouldn't require a marketplace per se. What they were...may just be lost to time. But it is a very curious thing, because again, every other society had them, and we base all of our societies today around a place to get food and water and items. So why didn't they? What made their societies work without them?
We may never know.
7. The Vastness Of The Incas
While Machu Picchu may be a focal point for the nation, the Incas themselves are just as much a mystery in certain ways as other early civilizations. Especially when you consider that they not only made Machu Picchu, but a vast empire that many are still discovering, or should I say "rediscovering" to this day. And everything we find about them is that they were much more organized and intelligent than some are willing to admit.
If you're curious about where and when they came from, that would be the Cusco region of Peru in the 13th century. But they didn't just stay in Peru, they went across much of what is now South America and made a vast empire for themselves. One that is said to be about a 300,000 square mile area to house everyone in. And this included going into other tribes and assimilating them into the culture at large.
By the time they were done "growing" they had anywhere between 3 and 12 MILLION people within their empire. There's honestly no way of knowing which is the real number, or even if it was somewhere in the middle.
They lorded over their real, which they dubbed, “the Four Corners Together,” and within that realm were 20,000 miles of roads, provincial governors, granaries and storehouses, high-altitude agriculture, and an economic system called mit'a, where citizens provided labor, goods, or military service to the state in exchange for food and protection.
So what happened to the Inca? Well, that technically isn't too much of a mystery. The answer there is the Spaniards. During that time, Francisco Pizarro and the Spanish Conquistadors came and fought against the native tribes in order to get treasures and more for Spain, as well as claim lands for their own.
The Inca were defeated, but unlike certain other cultures, they fought to the bitter end. All the way up until 1972 when their last great city was captured. Still though, their remains and their homes are scattered across the forests of South America, and they're still being discovered to this day. Not unlike Machu Picchu.
6. When Was Machu Picchu Rediscovered?
Sometimes, you find the best archaeological finds in the weirdest of places and times. And sometimes, these finds aren't ones you simply dig up, but rather, just stumble upon. After all, if you don't know where to look for something, it might just go unnoticed for hundreds of years. Don't believe me? Well, I present to you, Machu Picchu.
This complex was made by the Incas as we noted, and can be found on a mountainside in Peru. Which explains why many people never found it, including some conquering armies like the Conquistadors. Which is actually rather impressive given that this site is 126 square miles in area. That's very big, and yet, it wasn't rediscovered until 1911.
As for who went and found it again, that would be due to an American named Hiram Bingham.
