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Machu Picchu & The Incas

Oct 31, 2024

9 min read

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Podcast Title: Stuff For Kids


Episode Title: Machu Picchu & The Incas 


Teaching Resources & Lesson Plans (Coming Soon)


In this episode, I promised to share some photos of the time I hiked to Machu Picchu, if you would like to see those, please scroll to the bottom of this page.


Listen to Episode Here




[Upbeat intro music]


Host: Welcome back, adventurers! Are you ready to travel back in time? Today, we’re climbing high into the Andes mountains of South America to explore one of the most mysterious places in the world—Machu Picchu! Yes, Machu Picchu! We’ll uncover why it was built, what it was like to live there, and how this incredible city in the clouds has managed to stand the test of time!.


But first, who built Machu Picchu? They were called the Incas, one of the greatest civilizations in history. So buckle up, because we're about to take you on an adventure through time—meeting warriors, llama herders, and… potato experts? Yep! Potatoes! Stick around to find out more. 


[Transition music]


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### Section 1: Meet the Incas!


Host

Before we climb up to Machu Picchu, let’s meet the Inca people who built it! Imagine yourself living about 600 years ago, in the 1400s. You are in the Andes mountains in present-day Peru, which is in South America. The Incas were the rulers of a HUGE empire called Tawantinsuyu (can you say that 5 times fast?). It means "The Four Regions" in the native language, Quechua. The kingdom stretched all the way from Ecuador in the north, down to Chile in the south. That’s about 4,000 kms—that more than going from the highest tip of australia, that pointy bit at the top of Queensland, all the way down to the most southern point in Victoria. In 1528, around the time that Machu Picchu was built - the Incan Empire was the largest empire in the known world.


And guess what? Back then, they didn’t have cars, bikes, or even horses to travel around. Nope! The Incas walked or used llamas to carry things, because llamas are like the ancient delivery trucks of the Andes. 


But the Incas weren’t just good walkers—they were also amazing builders. They built roads, bridges, and cities, all high in the mountains. Imagine how hard it would be to build a city on the top of a mountain, and you didn’t even have bulldozers or cranes! These guys were like human mountain goats! 


The Incas were led by a powerful ruler called the Sapa Inca, who was like a king, but even cooler because they believed he was the child of the Sun God, Inti. Imagine having a king who said, "Hey, I’m related to the Sun!" It would be like ruling with superhero status!


But the Incas weren’t just about building and ruling. They had awesome festivals, loved music, and were super smart farmers. They grew corn, quinoa, and—get this—over 3,000 different kinds of potatoes! I mean, can you imagine having that many choices for your chips? (laughs)


[Fun music transition]


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### Section 2: Climbing Up to Machu Picchu: Why and How Was It Built?


Host

Now, let’s talk about Machu Picchu! We know that the Inca were fantastic builders, but Machu Picchu was like their masterpiece, their “Mona Lisa,” but way bigger! It was built around 1450, during the height of the Incan Empire. And here's the kicker: Machu Picchu is about 7,970 feet above sea level—that's more than 2.4kms high! Can you imagine climbing up that every day just to get to your house? Phew!


You might’ve seen pictures of the incredible ruins that are still there today. There are gray brick buildings sprawling over the top of a mountain peak with sheer cliffs dropping off either side. In some pictures you can see the clouds covering the city, it’s up so high.


I visited machu picchu once. It was absolutely incredible. I spent four days and nights hiking the mountains to get to it. We had to sleep in tents and walk up really narrow, steep and dangerous paths to get to the city. If you are interested, you can see a photo or two of my trip there on this episode’s page on our website.


So why do you think the incas would build it all the way up there in the clouds? There are a few theories. One idea is that it was a royal estate for the Sapa Inca, Pachacuti, who might have wanted a cool mountain vacation home. I mean, who wouldn't want a getaway with a view of breathtaking valleys, misty mountains, and—of course—llamas?


Another theory is that Machu Picchu was a religious site, a special place for honoring their gods, like the Sun God Inti. After all, the Incas really loved the Sun. Some people even say the whole city was built to be a huge calendar, where they could track the stars and planets. The incas were really into their astronomy and tracking the stars and sky. They even had a very accurate understanding of North, South, East and West, even though compasses didn’t exist then - it was all learned through looking at the sky, which is super cool!


Now, how did they even build Machu Picchu way up there? They didn’t have iron tools, steel, or wheels! It would’ve been like trying to put together a LEGO set without the instructions... or the blocks!


But the Incas were so smart, they found a way. They used other rocks to cut stones and used logs to roll them all the way up the mountain. And these stones that they cut? The cuts were so precise and accurate that they fit together so perfectly that you couldn’t even slip a piece of paper between them! That building process, made the walls very strong and sturdy.


Machu Picchu was built with terraces—like giant stone steps—that kept the city from sliding down the mountain. These terraces were also used for farming. Yep, they were growing food right there on top of the mountain! Imagine walking out of your house and grabbing fresh corn from your garden, 8,000 feet in the air. 


They had even worked out how to build aqueducts, which were like stone pipes that carried water from lakes higher in the mountains all the way down to the town for the villagers to use in their cooking, cleaning and farming, without having to carry it in buckets from far away places. That’s pretty impressive!


[Surprised Sound]


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### Section 3: What Did Machu Picchu Look Like?


Host: So what did this place look like when the Incas lived there? Picture this: stone buildings with thatched roofs, surrounded by misty green mountains, and the mighty Urubamba River winding far below. Birds chirping, llamas wandering around, and the Sun shining down like it’s smiling at you.


Machu Picchu had about 200 buildings, including houses, temples, and storage rooms. And there were staircases—lots and lots of staircases! It’s like the city was a giant jungle gym. If you lived there, you'd be super fit from all that stair climbing.


At the heart of Machu Picchu was the Temple of the Sun, a special place for worshipping the Sun God. The Incas believed the Sun was incredibly powerful, and they built the temple in just the right spot so that on the winter solstice, sunlight would hit a special stone perfectly. It was like their own ancient light show!


Then there’s the Intihuatana Stone, which means "hitching post of the sun." It’s this big rock carved to line up with the movements of the sun. The Incas used it to track the seasons, so they knew when to plant their crops. It's like their ancient version of a calendar app! (laughs)


Today, Machu Picchu still looks like a magical stone city in the sky, but instead of llamas and Inca farmers, you’ll find curious tourists, hikers, and, of course, selfie-takers!


[Camera Clicks]


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### Section 4: Life in an Inca Town: What Did They Do All Day?


Host: Now, let’s jump into the shoes (or maybe sandals) of someone living in Machu Picchu. What was daily life like? If you were a kid in Machu Picchu, your days would be filled with helping your family, playing, and learning. You’d probably be climbing those staircases a lot!


Most people in the Inca Empire were farmers. They grew crops like corn, beans, and—of course—potatoes on those terraces we talked about. They didn’t use money; instead, they traded things they grew or made. And if you were a good farmer, you didn’t just help your family—you helped the whole empire, because the Incas shared everything they grew. It’s like being part of a giant community garden!


For fun, Inca kids might play with little toys made out of clay, like llamas, or play music on simple instruments. The Incas loved music, and they made flutes and drums out of things like bones and reeds. 


But life wasn’t all fun and games. Boys would learn to help with farming and building, while girls learned how to weave and cook. Weaving was a big deal for the Incas. They made colorful clothes out of llama and alpaca wool—talk about staying cozy in those mountain winds!


And here’s a fun fact: The Inca didn’t have a written language. So how did they keep track of all the important stuff? They used something called quipu, which was a bunch of strings with knots in them. The way they tied the knots and the colors of the strings helped them record numbers, dates, and events. It’s like having a giant knotted notepad!


[Light music transition]


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### Section 5: What Happened to Machu Picchu and the Incas?


Host

Now we are going to quickly jump away from this incredible city for a moment to learn about what was going on in the rest of the kingdom. In the early 1500s the Spanish discovered South America and had done some early exploration, it was mostly peaceful and some friendships even formed between the Spanish explorers and the native Incas. However, the promise of riches and wealth was too much and the first Spanish explorers returned home to ask for permission to conquer the lands that belonged to the Incas.


In the 5 years that they were gone, diseases that they had brought to the lands spread rapidly through the inca population, killing many, including the Emperor (Huayna Capac) and his oldest son. This was the beginning of a very dark time for the empire. Two of the emperors other sons began a civil war, where they battled each other for who would be the next emperor. While the kingdom was at war with each other, and everyone was battling the diseases spread from the spanish explorers, a Spanish conquistador named Francisco Pizarro, returned with his brothers and a bunch of soldiers - they now had permission to conquer the land.


The group of conquistadors was only small, about 170 men, but they had horses, dogs, metal armour, swords, cannons and basic guns - none of which the Inca’s had seen the likes of before, let alone compete with in battle. So the Spanish conquistadors took over the lands although Machu Picchu was a bustling place for around 100 years, it was at this time, that something mysterious happened. 


The Incas suddenly left the city, and no one is quite sure why! Some say it was because of the disease brought by Spanish invaders, or maybe they wanted to hide from them and fled the city. Fortunately, the conquistadors never did find Machu Picchu because it was hidden so deep in the mountains. There is even evidence that when the Spanish Conquistadors were coming, the incas destroyed all their roads to help keep their sacred places hidden. So Machu Picchu, undiscovered by the Spanish, sat there, forgotten for centuries.


Now let’s fast forward to 1911 (450 years after the conquest), when an explorer named Hiram Bingham stumbled upon Machu Picchu while searching for the legendary “Lost City of the Incas.” He didn’t find the lost city he was looking for, but he did discover Machu Picchu— which turned out to be an even greater treasure!


Today, people come from all over the world to visit Machu Picchu. It’s one of the New Seven Wonders of the World! And now, you know the incredible story behind this ancient city.


[Grand music]


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### Section 6: Fun Facts About the Incas and Machu Picchu!


Host: Before we wrap up, how about some fun facts?


- The Incas didn’t have iron or steel, but their stonework was so good that many of their walls have survived hundreds of years of earthquakes. The stones fit together so perfectly, they didn’t even need cement!

  

- The Incas loved their llamas. They used them for carrying stuff, their wool for clothes, and—uh, sorry, vegetarians—they ate them too. (giggles)


- The Inca Empire had a road network of over 40,000 kms! That's like driving coast-to-coast across Australia almost ten times.


- Machu Picchu means “Old Mountain” in Quechua, but it’s sometimes called “The Lost City of the Incas”—even though we found it!


- And here’s a funny one: Llamas are pretty stubborn. If you overload them with too much stuff, they’ll sit down and refuse to move. It’s like a fluffy, grumpy delivery truck!


[Llama sound]


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### Section 7: Wrap-up


Host: (excited) Wow! We’ve learned so much today about the Incas and Machu Picchu. From aqueducts to potato farming, to building a city high in the sky, the Incas were truly an incredible civilization. And Machu Picchu? It’s still a place full of wonder and mystery.


Thanks for joining me on this awesome adventure! Remember, history is full of amazing stories just waiting to be discovered. So keep exploring, and until next time… stay curious!


[Upbeat outro music]


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End of Episode


Pictures of the 4 day hike I did with my Dad to Machu Picchu.


Oct 31, 2024

9 min read

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