What is Machu Picchu? There is no reference to Machu Picchu in Inca literature or folklore, so what is this culturally sophisticated engineering city in the Andes of Peru? Many archeologists believe that it was constructed as a retreat for the Inca nobility between 1400 and 1500 AD. But the extensive terracing suggests it may have been a center for crop testing or used as a trading hub. Who lived …
The Royal Palace situated within the city of Angkor Thom, close to Siem Reap Cambodia, belonged to kings of the tenth and first half of of the eleventh centuries. King Jayavarman VII built the city, whose name translates to “Great Kingdom” and includes Angkor Wat, over a 30 year period with the assistance of 6,000 elephants. A Chinese emissary, who provided the only first-hand account of the Khmer, described the splendor …