Machu Picchu Mirrors

James Bustamante( Travel Writer )

James Bustamante is Native to New York but born to Peruvian parents. He has been traveling throughout Latin America since early 2003 and finally made his home in Peru. James has made his way by eating and traveling through almost every country in Central and South America.

www.journeymachupicchu.com

Last Updated on January 21, 2021 by James Bustamante

The Machu Picchu mirrors were originally seen by Hiram Bingham on his second visit through Machu Picchu back in the year 1912, this was a more extensive excursion so there were a few new items he had not seen the first time.

When he finally came upon them he saw two bowl-shaped objects that were chipped right into the floor made out of granite.

These objects are certainly one of the more odd parts of the Machu Picchu hike along with the temple of the 3 windows. 

Two Large Mortars

There are several interesting places to see within the walls of Machu Picchu. One such place is a room with peculiar depressions into the ground. 

One of Hiram Bingham’s theories was that this must be some kind of mortar for grinding the Inca’s “maize” or other grains and vegetables. 

This was the interpretation that stuck around for decades among scholars. There’s even a photograph where one of Hiram Bingham’s workers is shown posing with a stone

Water Mirrors With an Astronomy Purpose

Several decades later at one point or another researchers started to question Hiram Bingham’s assumption that the Machu Picchu mirrors were large mortars as well as other theories about Machu Picchu as a whole. 

These circular reservoirs could have been used for hygiene purposes but there were a few people that thought they could have had more than one particular use.

When researcher Hugh Thomson took a closer look at the indentations in the granite floor he realized that they were in fact too wide to be traditional mortar- stones.

So the question began to arise on what was the use of these obvious depressions in the Inca city?

The field of archaeoastronomy began to gain momentum by the early 1970s and so new theories were created for these indentations.

What they came up with was that if you filled the depressions in the stone with water. The result transformed the impressions into a pool that had a reflection.

It seemed to work quite well due to the color of the granite below the surface. The idea that Inca astronomer priests used the mirrors to track the movement of planets, as well as constellations, was born.

This also allowed them to watch the passage of the sun or track an eclipse without looking directly at the sky.

The Machu Picchu Water Mirrors

Machu Picchu today is accepted to be an astronomical observatory. The Inca culture was very much aware of the sun’s movements as well as how the seasonal change and thus their agriculture depending on it.

Using the Machu Picchu mirrors they were able to predict the ending of the summer along with the time of the year to harvest their crops.

The Inca mirrors mapping dates along with the Inca sundial would help to ensure the natives could provide for their people the entire year.

Conclusion

You can check out the Machu Picchu astronomy mirrors on your when you visit Machu Picchu.

It is part of the 2 hour-long guided tour of the complex where you will not just see the Inca mirrors but also places like the Incas bathhouse, the temple of the 3 windows, the royal palace, and several more.

Frequently Asked Questions About Machu Picchu Mirrors