Machu Picchu Base Machu Picchu Base The Machu Picchu Scientific Base is a Peruvian polar scientific research facility in Antarctica, established to conduct Antarctic research on geology, climatology and biology. More specifically, its purpose is to study the continent's geological past, potential sea resources, wind strengths, air pollution, and the animal adaptation in a freezing environment. The base is named after the World Heritage site Machu Picchu. Being located at 62°S, Machu Picchu Base is one of the northernmost settlements in Antarctica. It, along with Artigas Base, Carlini Base and Villa Las Estrellas, forms the only human settlements on King George Island, on
Intihuatana, Urubamba Intihuatana, Urubamba Intihuatana (possibly from in the Quechua spelling "Inti Watana" or "Intiwatana") at the archaeological site of Machu Picchu (Machu Pikchu) is a notable ritual stone associated with the astronomic clock or calendar of the Inca in South America. Machu Picchu was thought to have been built c. 1450 by the Sapa Inca Pachacuti as a country estate, althought it is equally likely that the Inca discovered much older ruins (the inti watana, the temple of the sun, and the temple of the condor) and opted to build this majestic estate on older foundations. . In the late 16th