Peru -- Primarily Machu Picchu (Dec 2010)

This photo was cropped to try to show more of a close-up of a section of the portion of the structure that is shown in the previous photo. I wanted to show details of the walls.

Note that this side of the structure is a series of terraces.

Also, note how the retaining walls are a mixture of large stones and smaller stones in a mortar or concrete matrix. I suspect the large stones are original and the rest of the structure was installed in modern times (the last 30-50 years) to stabilize the hillside. I'm guessing more of the hillside facade (perhaps all of it) was once covered with larger stones. However, these have probably been taken (and most of them broken up) to serve as building materials as Cuzco grew.