Ghosts of Machu Picchu: Nova
The Incas are the best of the bunch, as far as South American empires go. Whereas the Mayas were poets and astronomers and the Aztecs were warriors, the Incas were architects and planners. What I didn’t realize was just how short their heyday was — only about 100 years. Had the Spanish not come, preceded by their wave of smallpox, one wonders how the Incas might have developed.
I had always appreciated Machu Picchu for its exotic location and architecture, and the mystery surrounding its discovery. This is the stuff that established the template of the adventurer archaeologist, that later brought us figures like Indiana Jones. What this documentary has brought me is a new appreciation of the planning and rigor that went into the structure’s development.
There’s nothing arbitrary about the process. For all the reasons not to build a palace in Machu Picchu’s location, there is a certain political, mystical, and engineering logic to its location. Furthermore, the palace wasn’t simply plopped on top of the mountain; nearly 60% of the work is under the ground, in extensive drainage and support structures both to prevent erosion and ensure a steady supply of fresh water.
This is fascinating stuff, and well-told. If you’ve a whiff of interest in ancient culture or architecture, this documentary is a goodun.