Ancient DNA Reveals A Diverse Community Lived At Machu Picchu, The 'Lost City Of The Incas'

[Judi Lynn]

AncientPages.com | July 26, 2023 |

Conny Waters - AncientPages.com - Who lived at Machu Picchu at its height? A new study used ancient DNA to find out for the first time where workers buried more than 500 years ago came from within the lost Inca Empire.

Researchers, including Jason Nesbitt, associate professor of archaeology at Tulane University School of Liberal Arts, performed genetic testing on individuals buried at Machu Picchu in order to learn more about the people who lived and worked there.



Machu Picchu, Peru. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Cusco region of Peru. It is one of the most well-known archaeological sites in the world and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. It was once part of a royal estate of the Inca Empire.

Like other royal estates, Machu Picchu was home not only to royalty and other elite members of Inca society, but also to attendants and workers, many of whom lived in the estate year-round. These residents did not necessarily come from the local area, though it is only in this study that researchers have been able to confirm, with DNA evidence, the diversity of their backgrounds.

More:
https://www.ancientpages.com/2023/07/26/ancient-dna-diverse-community-machu-picchu/

[niyad]

1. KNR and thank you for sharing this fascinating information.