By studying the Inca's engineering techniques and the natural environment, archaeologists are able to develop a theory in the Inca's practices, religion, and the significance of Machu Picchu.
In the mid fifteenth century AD Machu Picchu was carefully placed among sacred mountain peaks, in a unique and spectacular setting, with views of mountains in all directions. The city is also a prime observation spot for the movements of the sun, and archaeologists and astronomers have identified a number of natural and constructed points in the city that were used for making astronomical and solar observations ( Bauer and Dearborn 95).
The architecture of the city gives further clues to its real function. Sacred precincts, specialized constructions and fine architectural details are found at Machu Picchu, not storage silos or administrative buildings. The city lacks the features of a seat of government or of a town of economic or military importance. Although the agricultural products of the areas surrounding Machu Picchu which are cocoa and other crops, may have been important to the empire, the city itself did not function primarily as an agricultural or administrative place. More likely it was a kind of retreat where the emperor went to participate in religious and other activities away from the capital (Bingham 11).
Like I said earlier, Machu Picchu does not seem to have been occupied full time by the emperor. Rather, a group of residents cared for the city and kept it ready for visits from the Inca and his relatives. Groups of weavers, artisans, and priests may have also lived at Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu, like many cities, has different sectors where different activities took place. There are small and large buildings, some with finely cut stone masonry and others with less complicated construction. To tell a little bit about what the Inca's went through to make such a fascinating city, I chose an insert from Hiram Bingham's book titled, Lost City Of The Incas, he notes "The gigantic polygonal blocks cling so closely together that it is impossible to insert the point of a knife between them.
