Machu Picchu, the iconic Inca fortress perched in the mountains of Peru, seems to be older than ever. That's according to a recent study.
Archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as a heritage site for the Inca Emperor Pachacuti. If the historical record of the Spanish conquerors is a benchmark, the emperor came to power in 1438, indicating that the fort was built sometime between 1440 and 1450 depending on how long his troops conquered the local area.
However, recent studies suggest that the site may have been completed at least two decades earlier. As reported in the journal Antiquity, archaeologists using accelerator mass spectrometry to date the skeletons of 26 people were found in three tombs at Machu Picchu during excavations at the site in 1912. The results of these excavations show that Machu Picchu was occupied around 1420 to 1530 AD, more from 20 years before previously thought.
"Machu Picchu is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, but to date estimates of ancient times and the duration of its occupation are based on conflicting historical records written by Spaniards in the time after the Spanish conquest," said Yale University Professor Richard Burger. lead author of the study., as quoted from IFL Science, Wednesday (4/8/2021).
"This is the first study based on scientific evidence that provides an estimate of the founding of Machu Picchu and the duration of its occupation."
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Machu Picchu can be found at the fault line between the Peruvian Andes and the Amazon Basin about 2,400 meters above sea level. The site consists of about 200 structures, including ceremonial structures and areas for the aristocracy, as well as workers ’residences and hundreds of terraces used for agriculture.
After the Spanish conquest of the Inca empire in the late 16th century, Machu Picchu was in the mountains and no one knew about it for centuries. Moreover, the relic is covered with vegetation. The modern world only became aware of the existence of this impressive site until the early 20th century when it was rediscovered by American archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911 and later excavated.
Over the years, Machu Picchu is widely believed to have been built as a heirloom for Emperor Pachacuti, an important figure in Inca story. An ambitious and famous ruler, he conquered vast territories around present-day Peru, paving the way for the Inca kingdom to grow on the west coast of South America until the Spanish conquest in 1532 AD.
Given that Machu Picchu appears to have existed 20 years before the general estimate, this also suggests that the time frame of our Pachacuti reign may also not have occurred. Ultimately, these findings challenge whether we should rely on records of Spanish conquerors to compile stories of the Pre-Columbian era.
"The results show that discussions of the expansion of the Inca empire based on colonial records need revision. Modern radiocarbon methods provide a better basis for understanding Inca chronology than conflicting historical records," Professor Burger said.
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