Machu Picchu | Inka, Peru, 15th centuryThe Inka were a small highland group who established the

Machu Picchu | Inka, Peru, 15th centuryThe Inka were a small highland group who established themselves in the Cuzco Valley in the Andes Mountains of Peru around 1000 CE. In the 15th century they rapidly extended their power until the empire stretched from Quito Ecuador to central Chili (more than 3000 miles with about 12 million subjects). By the time the Spanish arrived it was the largest empire in the world. The Inka were masters of shaping and fitting stone. As a militant society they selected breathtaking, naturally fortified sites. One of the worlds most awe-inspiring sites is the Inka city of Machu Picchu, perched on a ridge between two jagged peaks, 1,600 feet above the river valley below. Well hidden, it was not discovered by westerners until an American explorer named Hiram Bingham came across it in 1911. Though not large compared to many other Inka cities, it was of great archaeological importance because it was left undisturbed since Inka times. (x) -- source link

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