Machu+picchu

The city in the sky – Machu Picchu – is one of the most beautiful World Heritage Sites and the main symbol of the Inca Empire. The continuing excavations at Machu Picchu have brought to light many of the secrets of Incan prosperity. The city itself is built on a steep Andean mountain ridge, and scholars have often wondered how and why the Incans built it in this harsh environment. This episode explores the Incan secrets in building this magnificent city.

Whether you want to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, explore the Peruvian Amazon, or enjoy Lima's world-class food and museums, the local Fodor's travel experts in Peru are here to help! Fodor's Essential Peru, 2nd Edition guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time.

Perched atop a mountain crest, mysteriously abandoned more than four centuries ago, Machu Picchu is the most famous archeological ruin in the Western Hemisphere and an iconic symbol of the power and engineering prowess of the Inca. In the years since Machu Picchu was discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911, there have been countless theories about this "Lost City of the Incas," yet it remains an enigma.

The Lost City of Machu Picchu is a mysterious wonder. The site is a window to the past, through which we can know who built it: the Incas, an ancient civilization that created the most powerful empire in South America. While it took obvious skill to construct Machu Picchu, the city has also guarded its secrets well, hiding its true meaning and purpose. Likely abandoned in the sixteenth century and invaded by the Andean forest throughout the proceeding years, Machu Picchu remained hidden to the world for centuries. The Spanish conquistadors never found it and the Incas who knew the location never revealed its existence and was forgotten.

The Time Scanners use cutting-edge 3D laser-scanning technology to put history’s building wonders to the test, exploring the secrets of how the world’s most iconic engineering creations were constructed. The show, presented by Dallas Campbell (Supersize Earth, The Gadget Show) covers history, engineering, and science in a fascinating new way - using the latest research tools and visual mapping to uncover the mysteries behind the most globally recognized buildings. Heading the quest is leading structural engineer Steve Burrows, the brain behind some of the world’s most famous engineering marvels such as the Beijing “Bird’s Nest” Olympic stadium.