Machu Picchu is located in the Andean Mountain Range of Peru. It was hidden from the world until 1911 when Hiram Bingham, who was a professor at Yale, discovered it when searching for Vilcabamba. Machu Picchu means “Manly Peak” and is not suitable for the weak. The rough terrain and harsh climate are all but suitable for living conditions but the Incas thrived in this land and made it their home. Machu Picchu Machu Picchu was built between 1460 and 1470 AD. It is around 8000ft about sea level and is surrounded by the Andeas Mountains and many trees and shrubs. Machu Picchu has around 200 buildings that were constructed and still remain today. Most of them were houses and some were that of stores or selling markets. There were some two story buildings but they were very rare. They most likely used ropes to get up to the second floor because there were not many trees around the area. Structures There were around 1200 people that lived in the area of Machu Picchu. Many women and children lived here. They made the best of the land by cultivating it to the best of the ability. They built terraces so the land would not crumble and give way. They mainly grew potatoes and maize, but did not grow enough to support any of the other Inca cities at the time. Land http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/latinamerica/south/sites/machu_picchu.html http://www.sacredsites.com/americas/peru/machu_picchu.html http://www.crystalinks.com/machu.html Sample Heading 4