February 11th - 08:34

Title: February 11th - 08:34 Medium: Super-8 film Aspect Ratio: 4:3 Resolution: 2880 x 2160 File Type: H.264 Codec / MP4. Comments: At the top of Machu Picchu I met an archaeologist named Williams holding a notebook up of one of the oldest photographs of the site when it was first re-discovered by a yale professor named Hiram Bingham in the early 20th century with the help of local guides who told him of the tale of an ancient Incan city in the mountains. It was overgrown and he scorched the earth with fire to reveal what was hidden underneath; Not quite a sustainable approach. This city was populated by the Incas in the 15th Century until the conquistadors invaded their territory forcing them to retreat to a final stand in another ancient city that has not yet been rediscovered, as the tale goes on. It is impressive to fathom that this city atop the mountain was built and only lived in for approximately 100 years. The mystery goes on: Where did all these large stones come from? How were they moved? How did the Incas develop sophisticated agricultural architecture that allowed them to farm and protect their land from environmental factors like landslides and run off from the misty mornings caused by the Urubamba river. Where did all these people, their rituals, and supposedly their treasures vanish too? So many questions without answers. Perhaps the locals know, as they did before when Machu Picchu was published. Its funny how the people lived with the ruins for hundreds of years, and it took an outsider, from Yale and National Geographic to make it a global phenomenon and contemporary attraction that is now the largest ancient tourist site in South America. Another question is, how does something become ancient? How much time needs to pass? 100 years? 500 years? A century? How many generations need to pass for it to become an archeological site. When no one longer lives there? When it falls into ruins, then interest arises many, many years later? To understand what happened, and why? Will we ever know? Where were the stories written, or were they passed down in by other means? When do they become truly lost in time. A place of worship. Rituals and cosmological navigation were evident here. Mirrors to the moon and sun using water and stone during equinoxes and solstices. They measured time by following the stars. Some say this civilization vanished into the stars themselves. Just as many other conspiracies of ancient cultures disappear without a trace. All we have are the stone skeletons of their homes, temples and farms. So here we are. On top of a mountain still in tact, thanks to restorative practices. A man holding a timeless photograph of the sacred site. Fractaling from the past into the present. From black and white to color. Here and now, until the future generations to come. What will the ruins we leave behind?