Machu Picchu is decades older than previously believed, new study reveals

The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, perched atop Peru’s Andes Mountains, is several decades older than previously thought, according to a new study published in Antiquities. Historians believe that the fortress was built in the 15th century by emperor Pachacuti, whose reign is believed to have commenced in 1438. However, the new study asserts that the rule of the Incan king began prior to the aforementioned year and so did the inhabitation of the widely popular citadel. 

The discovery was made by a team of researchers affiliated with Yale University, who radiocarbon-dated the human remains found at the fortress. According to CNN, the team used the method of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS), which can set the chronology even with small amounts of organic material found. For this purpose, the team used 26 individuals from cemeteries at Machu Picchu that were recovered from the site during excavations in 1912. In addendum, they also used ceramic, bronze and silver shawls. 

2 decades prior to believed

Led by Richard Burger, the historians found that emperor Pachacuti rose to power earlier than expected, that is before the believed year of 1440 or 1450. This directly implies that the citadel was inhabited more than two decades prior to what is generally believed. "This is the first study based on scientific evidence to provide an estimate for the founding of Machu Picchu and the length of its occupation," Burger said in the news release.

 "Machu Picchu is among the most famous archaeological sites in the world, but until now estimates of its antiquity and the length of its occupation were based on contradictory historical accounts written by Spaniards in the period following the Spanish conquest," study lead author Richard Burger, an archaeologist and anthropologist at Yale University in Connecticut, said in a statement.  

The citadel, a major source of revenue for the Latin American country, was severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic. The country’s government tried to revive tourism by announcing a plan to offer free tickets to natural resources and archaeological sites to children, public sector employees and the elderly. Throughout, the pandemic, Peru, the second-worst COVID-19 hit nation in Latin America has seen a decline in the tourism industry which employs nearly 10,000 people. 

Image: AP