Assignment 3B

I viewed the following videos during my research of Machu Picchu in assignment 3A. Although this is not a traditional piece of art, I view it as such because of the superior architecture and innovative design that was seemingly ahead of its time. These videos correlate to our examination of Humanities because this lost city of Machu Picchu is a prominent component of both modern and ancient Latin America.

Observation:
Whether your viewing a video set to traditional Peruvian music or listening to an expert offer their explanation on the history of this great city, one thing that I keep finding myself reflects upon is that how after all of this time, this great city remains a mystery for the most part. The other part that I observe when watching these videos is how the sophistication with which the city was designed. The stone in the walls cut so precise that mortar was not necessary. The seismic integrity of the structures was so superior that the walls withstood centuries of earthquakes. Despite that, there were portions that needed to be restored but overall the site has remained intact.

Interpretation
This piece of artwork is about many things. However in my opinion, at this date in history and in being able to reflect on all that the Inca empire was able to achieve as well as the events it has had to withstand, this piece of artwork prominently indicates to me the dominance of the culture in the region at the time as well as the sophistication and accomplishments of this empire. This city is grand and prominent that to me, it only starts to pay homage to what the Inca Empire was all about. The fact the much mystery remains furthers my view on that.

Judgment
The reason I chose this piece of work is because despite all that we’ve discovered and know about the city, much of it remains a mystery. I’ve read differing views on what the purpose of the city was, what happened to its residents and why/how was it never discovered by the Spanish. The fact that it has withstood the perils of time to reveal all that it has about this ancient culture is also impressive. It is a great testament to the ancient Peruvians and all that they accomplished.

Questioning
I would like to know how long it took to build this beautiful city. How were the stones moved up to this high altitude, and what was the process like? For example, was the process similar to what we see today when a building is built. Permits, suppliers, materials and workers. What did it take at put this together?