Machu Picchu, the Forgotten City Illustration

Inca Empire for Kids
Machu Picchu
The Forgotten City


About 100 years ago, archaeologists made an incredible find, high in the Andes Mountains. They found an entire city that had not been destroyed by the Spanish invaders. This forgotten city is named Machu Picchu. It is a huge tourist attraction in Peru today.

Archaeologists found ruins of temples, palaces, fortresses, pottery, statues, and all kinds of artifacts. It was incredible! This find told archaeologists and scientists a great deal about the ancient Inca civilization.

One of the most exciting finds was the first thing explorers found as they entered the forgotten city. It was an Intihuatana. An Intihuatana was pyramid built so the Inca could speak to their gods. Priests used the flat top of the pyramid to conduct ceremonies. Archaeologists noted that palace balconies faced the flat rock at the top of the pyramid. They suspect this was done so that nobles could watch ceremonies from the comfort of a seat on their own balcony.

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