Hi Everyone!! This article will share Machu Pichu – An Engineering Wonder Questions & Answers.
Machu Picchu is a 15th century Inca site located on a ridge between the Huayna Picchu and the Machu Picchu mountains in Peru. Below are given the questions and answers of this chapter. I have also shared the questions and answers of The Flying Sikh and The Lame Boy’s Lament so, you can check these posts as well.
Machu Pichu – An Engineering Wonder Questions & Answers
Question 1: Read the passage given below and answer the following questions:
Machu Picchu is a 15th century Inca site located on a ridge between the Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu mountains in Peru. It is 2430 meters above the sea level on the eastern slope of the Andes.
(a) What does ‘Machu Picchu’ mean in the native language?
Answer: In the native language, ‘Machu Picchu’ means ‘Old Peak’ or ‘Old Mountain’.
(b) Where is Machu Picchu located?
Answer: It is located on a ridge between the Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu mountains in Peru; 2430 meters above the sea level on the eastern slopes of the Andes.
(c) Which word in the lines above means ‘small hill’?
Answer: ridge
(d) Which river flows below the site of Machu Picchu?
Answer: The Urubamba River flows below the site of Machu Picchu.
Question 2: What evidences point to Machu Picchu being a royal retreat?
Answer: There is no evidence of a battle being fought there, hence it was probably not designed for military purposes. The Machu Picchu site is divided in an upper town area where royalty lived and temples were built and a lower town agricultural area that included workers’ quarters and warehouses.
Question 3: What special building technique did the Incas have expertise in?
Answer: The Incas were skilled in using a building technique called ‘ashlar’ in which blocks of stone are cut so precisely that they fit together tightly without mortar.
Question 4: How can one reach Machu Picchu?
Answer: There are two ways to get to Machu Picchu; by train or trekking. The climb is strenuous but offers extraordinary views.
Machu Pichu – An Engineering Wonder Questions & Answers
Question 5: Which mode of travel to Macchu Picchu does the writer feels is the best?
Answer: The writer feels that trekking up to Machu Picchu is strenuous but you get to watch extraordinary mountain views. The steep trek has several sections of original Inca stone paths along the way.
Question 6: Describe the construction of Machu Picchu with respect to material and technique.
Answer: Machu Picchu was constructed using excavated granite. The Incas use ‘ashlar’ which was a building technique in which blocks of stone were cut precisely so that they fitted tightly together without mortar.
Question 7: Read the passage given below and answer the following questions:
When the explorer, Hiram Bingham III came upon Machu Picchu in 1911, he was looking for a different city, known as Vilcabamba to which the Inca had escaped after the Spanish arrived in 1532.
(a) Which explorer came upon Machu Picchu in 1911?
Answer: In 1911, Hiram Bingham III came upon Machu Picchu.
(b) What was the explorer looking for?
Answer: The explorer was looking for a different city, known as Vilcabamba to which the Inca had escaped after the Spanish arrived in 1532.
Question 8: Identify two construction techiniques due to which Machu Picchu stands even today.
Answer: Machu Picchu was built using a technique called ‘ashlar’ in which blocks of stone are cut so precisely as to fit together tightly without using mortar.
Machu Picchu was constructed atop two fault lines. When an earthquake occurs, the stones in an Inca building are said to bounce through the tremors and then fall back into place.
Machu Pichu – An Engineering Wonder Questions & Answers
Question 9: Describe the history of Machu Pichu.
Answer: Machu Pichu was established in the waning years of the last Incas in an effort to conserve the Incan culture. Some believe that it may have been abandoned at the time of Spanish conquest. It is also believed that it was built for Pachacuti, an Incan emperor, for use by the emperor and his family as a temporary retreat. There is no evidence of battles being fought there and hence it cannot be said that the place for used for military purposes. It was abandoned just over a century later in 1572 after the Spanish arrived in Peru.
Question 10: Inspite of being located in an earthquake-prone region, many buildings at Machu Picchu remain standing. How is it possible?
Answer: When an earthquake occurs, the stones in the buildings are said to bounce through the tremors and then fall back into place. Thus, inspite of being located in an earthquake-prone region, many buildings at Machu Picchu remain standing.
Question 11: What was the purpose of starting the New Seven Wonders of the World?
Answer: The New Seven Wonders of the World was started to revive the concept of the Seven wonders of the Ancient world and to choose another set from a selection of 200 existing monuments.
Question 12: What is unique about each of the seven wonders?
Answer: Each of the new Seven Wonders of the World is a masterpiece in itself. They are the realization of some great dreams, display of some great skills and great labour.
So, these were Machu Pichu – An Engineering Wonder Questions & Answers.