Nova examines the
ruins of Machu Picchu and tries to unravel what happened there. Construction appears to date to the period
of the two great Inca rulers, Pachacutec Inca Yupanqui (1438-71 and Tupac Inca
Yupanqui (1472-93. It seems to be
a royal estate but not one passed down to successive rulers? It was used for approximately 80 years
and then abandoned? The
destruction of other parts of the Inca Empire also occurred about this time. It’s possible that an epidemic of
smallpox introduced by travelers before arrival of the Spanish caused the people
to leave?
There are many
unanswered questions about Machu Picchu.
There is little information about human sacrifices? Many were not given a proper burial and
their skeletons succumbed to the elements. Evidence remains that retainers were sacrificed to accompany
a deceased noble in the afterlife such as done by the Egyptians. Gifts of animals, liquids and dirt were
left for the gods at the Altar of the Condor. It’s not known why Machu Picchu was built on this high and difficult to access
location. Very skilled stone
cutting was needed to make this kind of structure. The one complaint I have about some documentaries like this
one is that they show the same scenes multiple times and there is a lot of
speculation. 3* (This movie is OK)
53
min, Doc aired on PBS with Valerie Andrushko, Fernando Astete, Stella Nair,
Elva Torres Pino, Johan Reinhard, Craig Sechler, John Verano, Kenneth Wright.
Note: Imdb 7.5 out of 10, Amazon 4.3* out of
5* with 22 reviews, PBS 4 ½* out of 5* with 20 reviews.
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