Machu Picchu: A Radiocarbon Dating Study Reveals the Site is Older Than We Thought

[Judi Lynn]

Story by Jade h •
10h

Machu Picchu, the ancient Inca citadel perched on a mountain ridge in Peru, is one of the most stunning and mysterious archaeological sites in the world. For decades, historians have relied on Spanish colonial documents to date the construction and occupation of this marvel of engineering and architecture. However, a new study has challenged the conventional wisdom and suggested that Machu Picchu may be older than previously believed.

The study, published in the journal Antiquity, used radiocarbon dating technology to analyze human remains found in a cemetery at Machu Picchu. The researchers used a technique called accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) to measure the amount of carbon-14 in the bones, which decays at a known rate over time. By comparing the carbon-14 levels in the samples with those of known age, the researchers were able to estimate when the people lived and died.

The results showed that Machu Picchu was in use from about A.D. 1420 to A.D. 1530, making it at least 20 years older than the accepted historical record suggests. According to the documents written by Spanish conquistadors, Machu Picchu was built after 1440 by the Inca emperor Pachacuti, who expanded the Inca empire to its greatest extent. However, the radiocarbon dating evidence indicates that the site may have been built by his predecessor, Viracocha, or even earlier.

This finding has important implications for our understanding of Inca history and culture. It suggests that Machu Picchu was not a mere retreat for the Inca elite, but a strategic and ceremonial center that played a key role in the consolidation and expansion of the Inca state. It also challenges the reliability of using colonial documents as the sole source of information for dating ancient ruins in the Americas. The study argues that “perhaps the time has come for the radiocarbon evidence to assume priority in reconstructions of the chronology of the Inca emperors and the dating of Inca monumental sites such as Machu Picchu.”

Machu Picchu is a remarkable example of the architectural and engineering skills of the Inca civilization. The site consists of about 200 structures, including temples, palaces, terraces, and fountains, built on a steep mountain ridge about 2,420 meters above sea level. The Inca used simple tools and local materials to carve and fit the stones, some weighing more than 50 tons, without using mortar or wheels. They also developed sophisticated systems of water management and agriculture to sustain the site.

More:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/machu-picchu-a-radiocarbon-dating-study-reveals-the-site-is-older-than-we-thought/ar-AA1kgmcA

(Isn't it nightmarish realizing the world has relied upon the writings of the people who massacred, plundered, destroyed the Inca culture to describe the reality of the world they destroyed, revealed to them through the language of their victims they didn't actually understand, for authentic understanding of the ancient civilization, clearly advanced, they vaporized? Never even concsidered questioning it?)



After all, why would they lie about the people they murdered, after stealing their country and destroying their lives?

[cachukis]

1. Justinian had his scribe write his biography for

history. It was glowing.
Justinian's scribe wrote a companion that told another story. Both histories survived.
Henry VIII insisted his portrait be flattering.
We all ignored the duplicity of Thomas Jefferson until historians pulled back the curtain.

Thanks for keeping us up to date.

[people]

2. Thank you for posting such interesting articles

Happy Thanksgiving.

[murielm99]

3. My youngest daughter was fascinated with Machu Picchu from the time

she was eight years old. She was able to visit there once with a group of students and once as a private individual. Her knowledge of the language and culture is great.

I am so glad she was able to do that.