this post was submitted on 24 Jul 2026
65 points (98.5% liked)

Chapotraphouse

14429 readers
630 users here now

Banned? DM Wmill to appeal.

No anti-nautilism posts. See: Eco-fascism Primer

Slop posts go in c/slop. Don't post low-hanging fruit here.

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Machu Picchu is an Inca settlement located in the High Andes of Peru in the Urubamba Valley, north of Cuzco. The site, perched high above the Urubamba river, has been variously described as a fortress, imperial retreat and ceremonial precinct. It was founded by Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui in c. 1450 CE, had capacity for around 1,000 residents at its peak, and ranked amongst the most sacred of all sites for the Inca. Following the collapse of the Inca empire, Machu Picchu was abandoned and forgotten, only to be rediscovered in 1911 CE by the explorer Hiram Bingham. Machu Picchu is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Purpose

Machu Picchu (meaning 'old hill') was an imperial estate founded by and belonging to Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, the Inca ruler, in the mid-15th century CE. The ownership of the site was later passed to Pachacuti's successors. On its rediscovery by the explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911 CE (although local residents in the valley had always known of the site's existence) it was claimed as the last capital of the Incas. However, this proved to be untrue when the actual final capital was discovered at Vilcabamba, further downstream in the Urubamba Valley.

Another hypothesis concerning the site posed by early historians was that Machu Picchu was a fortress and the strong walls, large towers, and dry moats were cited in support of this theory. The need for fortification perhaps sprang from a series of severe droughts which made the competition for resources fierce. This would also explain why the site was not occupied for very long as when the water situation improved the necessity for such citadel sites declined.

Once again though, further study has revealed that most of the architecture was designed for religious purposes and the fortifications may well have been put in place to ensure only a select few could enter this sacred site. In further support of this interpretation, a road was discovered which linked the site to several residential settlements dotted along the valley. The most likely purpose of Machu Picchu, then, was as a sacred site, probably to the sun god Inti and with the additional purpose of reminding the recently conquered local population of the power and might of Pachacuti and the Inca empire centred at its capital Cuzco.

The site was abandoned by the Inca shortly before Pizarro and the Spanish conquistadors arrived. The invaders never reached Machu Picchu, though, and the site would remain unknown to the wider world for 400 years.

Full Article by Mark Cartwright https://www.worldhistory.org/Machu_Picchu/

From UNESCO https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/274/

Megathreads and spaces to hang out:

reminders:

  • πŸ’š You nerds can join specific comms to see posts about all sorts of topics
  • πŸ’™ Hexbear’s algorithm prioritizes comments over upbears
  • πŸ’œ Sorting by new you nerd
  • 🐢 Join the unofficial Hexbear-adjacent Mastodon instance toots.matapacos.dog

Links To Resources (Aid and Theory):

Aid:

Theory:

Financial Support to the Bearsite

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] whisp@hexbear.net 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Nothing more disappointing than expecting some decent heat and you cook them up and get mild warmth.

[–] LeeeroooyJeeenkiiins@hexbear.net 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

They're supposed to be a million SHU. The google lying machine said i need to wear gloves and goggles for safety to harvest them, lmao

I haven't tried them yet aside from that one green one, but i'll post updates. I kinda want to smoke them dry and make powder but I only have the 2 right now. I could maybe fill it in with my thai peppers (VERY SPICY i'd guess theyre in the 100-200000 SHU range) but it's gott dang hot and humid out there, and they are ridiculously small, it'd take me like half an hour to pick

[–] whisp@hexbear.net 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I've had a mixed bag with a couple handfuls of Vietnamese Celestial Chili Pepper (Ớt Chỉ ThiΓͺn) and a few scotch bonnets thrown in. I have to go hotter.

How easy are your plants to grow? Downside to some of the hotter varieties are the smaller size but worth it. But yeah the humidity can make it a bit of a chore

[–] LeeeroooyJeeenkiiins@hexbear.net 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

How easy are your plants to grow?

Oh they're super easy to grow, or they have been so far at least. I just need to remember to always stake pepper plants though because they seem to get very thick, woody appearing stems, but they end up very weak and easy to blow over in the wind

the ghost peppers are also really finicky with setting blossoms. I honestly don't even know what finally triggered it to start, because I tried blooming fertilizer, manual pollination, etc., and it didn't really seem to make a difference. This thing has dropped HUNDREDS of blossoms so far. It's got maybe 30 peppers growing on it r/n?

I think the big thing is they apparently need a very narrow temperature range, like above 80F or something but below 95F or the heat sterilizes the pollen? idk. I don't know if that was the biggest issue or not because it finally started setting fruit while temps were still approaching 100F

scotch bonnets

I need to grow those next year so i can finally make somewhat authentic jamaican jerk

[–] whisp@hexbear.net 4 points 2 weeks ago

Hope you get some good hot ones, good luck with the rest!

jamaican jerk

Very nice, should be fun to make your own