Inca Island in the Sky (Full Episode) | Lost Cities with Albert Lin
National Geographic・2 minutes read
Machu Picchu was constructed by the Inca Empire in the mid-5th century, showcasing incredible engineering and design, with a focus on vertical terracing and ceremonial structures. The expedition led by Albert Lin, alongside archaeologist Tom Hardy, uses 21st-century technology like lidar to uncover pre-Inca structures and understand the evolution of beliefs into architecture at ancient sites like Wat.
Insights
- Machu Picchu, built by the Inca Empire in the mid-5th century, showcases intricate architecture like vertical terracing and ceremonial doorways, reflecting their belief in the mountains as gods.
- The expedition led by Albert Lin and Tom Hardy utilizes 21st-century technology like lidar to uncover pre-Inca structures at Wat, revealing an evolution of cultural and religious practices through monumental architecture.
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Recent questions
What is Machu Picchu?
A vast ceremonial city built by the Inca Empire.
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Summary
00:00
Uncovering Machu Picchu's Ancient Secrets
- Machu Picchu, a vast ceremonial city in the Andes, was built in the mid-5th century by the Inca Empire.
- Albert Lin uses 21st-century technology to explore ancient worlds, uncovering hidden sites with lasers and scanning technology.
- Machu Picchu is compared to Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Giza, showcasing incredible engineering and design.
- The Inca believed the mountains were gods, and Machu Picchu's architecture includes vertical terracing, plazas, temples, and ceremonial doorways.
- The precision of Inca masonry and carving, like the double-jam gateway, showcases their monumental effort and genius.
- Albert Lin aims to uncover the origins of Machu Picchu, delving into the Andes with 21st-century technology.
- Near Machu Picchu, evidence of pre-Inca tribes is sought, with archaeologist Tom Hardy studying pre-Inca remains.
- Thick vegetation and challenging terrain hinder exploration, leading to the use of lidar technology to digitally strip away vegetation.
- Lidar reveals pre-Inca structures like circular chullpas, indicating a village for the dead, and square and rectangular Inca structures.
- The Inca's incorporation of earlier belief systems, like the cult of Wiota, and building bigger structures, hints at their cultural and religious practices.
24:08
Inca Expedition Uncovers Ancient Mountaintop Town
- The expedition is heading to a peak at 13,000 ft of elevation, carrying a lot of gear.
- Inca buildings at Wat are around 100 years older and 5,000 ft higher in altitude than Machu Picchu.
- Tom Hardy and Peruvian archaeologist Aran AR join the expedition.
- The Inca built high to assert their authority, with Wat being more than 1.5 times higher than Machu Picchu.
- The lar survey at Wat reveals signature Inca terracing and circular structures possibly pre-Inca.
- The team searches for circular structures revealed by lar, finding pre-Inca pottery and potential residential areas.
- Square buildings at Wat appear to have been built later by the Inca, suggesting a public space for events.
- The Inca incorporated beliefs from the pre-Inca period at Wat, modifying the mountain to establish their world.
- The lar data unveils the monumental scale of Wat, showcasing the evolution of beliefs into architecture at this ancient mountaintop town.
