The empire that built Machu Picchu?

• A. Maya
• B. Aztec
• C. Inca
• D. Olmec

Answer: (C)

Machu Picchu was built by the Inca Empire. This massive site sits high in the Peruvian Andes and showcases Inca engineering at its best—precisely cut dry-stone masonry, carefully terraced slopes for farming, and intricate water management. Its construction points to a mid-15th-century origin, during the period when the Inca expanded from their heartland near Cusco and built monumental estates and ceremonial centers for royalty. The purpose aligns with Inca patterns of using such sites as royal residences and sacred spaces. Other civilizations—like the Maya in Central America, the Aztec in central Mexico, and the Olmec along the Gulf Coast—built in different regions and with different styles, so Machu Picchu reflects uniquely Inca design and priorities.