Opal (quality A) from Ligtening Ridge, Australia

Opal (quality A) from Ligtening Ridge, Australia

Prestige Healerite (

Prestige Healerite ("Serpentine variety") in pendant and necklace

Machu Picchu stone found in Aguas Calientes, Peru (new in 2020)

Always in search of the newest minerals & tumbled stones we came across this stone in 2019. Very beautiful and high-quality cut.
Availability: In stock
SKU
9050
  • Buy 500 for €0.25 each and save 29%
Machu Picchu stone found in Aguas Calientes, Peru (new in 2020) is available to buy in increments of 100

Machu Picchu (from Quechua Machu Pikchu) is a city of the Incas in Peru that was never discovered by the Spaniards and therefore not destroyed. Much of the Inca civilization can still be found in this city. The city of Machu Picchu is located between steep mountains, at an altitude of about 2400 meters, in the region of the city of Cuzco. The Incas reached the city via a steep path. The hike lasted several days and the city was therefore difficult to reach. Nowadays it is also possible to reach the city by train and bus. Machu Picchu is enclosed between two steep peaks: the Machu Picchu (literally "ancient mountain" in Quechua) and the Huayna Picchu ("young mountain" in Quechua). Through the rock valley runs at 1750 meters altitude the strong flowing Urubamba. It is assumed that the construction of the city of Machu Picchu was started around 1440, under the direction of Pachacuti. Until the Spanish conquest of the area in 1532 the city was inhabited. Scientists disagree about the function of the city. Because the city is so inaccessible, it is assumed that the city did not have a regular function. It is often assumed that Machu Picchu was a home for kings and other high-ranking people. The city has many lodgings for nobles, and also a few dwellings for their servants. Around 750 people could stay in the city. During the rainy season, when there were no kings, there would have been far fewer people in Machu Picchu. When the Spaniards defeated the empire of the Inca, the regular migration from and to Machu Picchu stopped by nobles and left the city. Another explanation for the remarkable location and for leaving the city is that it was a fortress that served as a defense for the Inca empire. After the Spanish conquest, there was no longer any need for the Incas to continue to visit the city. This explanation is more often contested, since the location of the city does not make it plausible that from there the Inca empire was defended. In addition, there were too few homes for foot soldiers. A third theory is that Machu Picchu was primarily intended for the collection of coca leaves, since it was at a point where many plantations were accessible. The abandonment of the city is therefore not explained: even after the Spanish conquest the coca continued to play an important role in the area. Recently it was found that in 1867 the German prospector and timber merchant Augusto Berns found the mountain town and plundered with permission from the Peruvian government. Berns sold the historical treasures to European museums. [2] In 1911, the historian Hiram Bingham carried out a study into the Inca paths in the vicinity of the city. During this study trip he discovered Machu Picchu again. The city became widely known in 1913 when the National Geographic devoted a complete song to Machu Picchu. In 1983 the city was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is a popular tourist attraction, which is of great importance to the tourism of the entire region. Every year, the site attracts around 400,000 visitors, this to UNESCO's concern, which fears that this large number of visitors will further damage the city. Since the 1990s, shops, hotels and the like have been built and many new buildings are being built along the old Inca city along which this city can be reached.

 

  • Largest gemstone wholesaler in Europe
  • More than 165,000 various articles in stock
  • Fast delivery
  • Guaranteed competitive prices

Do you have a question? Please do not hesitate to contact us: