Covering thousands of miles in the Andes, the Inca Trail was the backbone of the ancient empire, connecting the millions of people who lived under its rule. The jewel in its crown, Machu Picchu, was recently named one of the seven wonders of the modern world. But who were the Incas? What was the purpose of their complex road system? And why did they build a stone citadel on a mountain ridge, only to abandon it a century later?

This is a Short History of Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail.

Written by Jo Furniss. With thanks to Javier Puente, associate professor of Latin American studies at Smith College in Massachusetts.

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