The traditional image of Machu Picchu As an enclave reserved for the Inca elite, it changed radically after a recent genetic study published in Advancement of science. Researchers discovered that the symbolic citadel had an unusually diverse population, originating from multiple regions of South America, leading to a shift in understanding of its history and function within Tahuantinsuyu.
To make this discovery, the team led by… Lucy Salazar A team consisting of specialists from Yale University, the University of California at Santa Cruz, and the National University of San Antonio Abad in Cusco, analyzed genetic material from the teeth and bones of 34 people buried in the funerary caves of Machu Picchu. The data obtained were compared with samples from 34 other individuals from Cusco and the Sacred Valley. By applying sequencing techniques similar to those used in modern strain testing, they identified at least eight different regions of origin among the citadel population, including the southern Andes, the Amazon, and areas near present-day Ecuador and Colombia.
This progress calls into question the vision of Machu Picchu as a local, homogeneous community. Research shows that the city was inhabited by people of diverse rootsComing from very remote geographical areas. There were only a mother and daughter with a direct relationship, confirming that “yanacona” and “akla” – servants and workers selected by the state – resided in the castle on the basis of their service and not as part of family groups.
One of the most prominent findings of the study is that one-third of the individuals analyzed were of Amazonian origin, and most of them were women. This prominent Amazonian female presence demolishes the idea of a marginal Amazon in Amazonian life Inca Empire It indicates much greater integration than previously recognized.
According to the study’s authors, some of these Amazonian women may have been chosen as wives for the yanacunas, who were workers transferred into the Inca service, or appointed as specialized servants within the royal complex. The role of these women reflects integration strategies that combined the political, the symbolic, and the local in forming new social networks within Machu Picchu.
Genetic analysis confirmed that the majority of women were not related to each other or to other residents. In contrast to what was observed in rural Andean villages, where family ties prevailed, in Machu Picchu the state regulated coexistence between unrelated individuals, Strengthening the cohesion of a new society, separated from its original roots.
The genetic diversity and strong presence of Amazonian women contribute to a rethinking of the historical understanding of the citadel. Machu Picchu is revealed as a space in which Amazonian women played a major role, not only as an object of political exchange, but also as an actor in the ritual and productive life of the royal enclave.
Historical context of the construction of Machu Picchu during the… Inca PachacutecIt reinforces the interpretation of the castle as a strategic point that goes beyond the mere retreat of the nobles. Although the architectural monument suggests a royal destination, research shows that emperors and their court resided there only during certain seasons for religious ceremonies and political activities.
Responsibility for continuity and daily care fell to the Yanacona and Aclla tribes, who constituted a genetically mestizo group. They did not belong to the nobility nor to the traditional peasants.; Its function and position depended on a direct connection with state power and the imperial organization.
Genetic and archaeological records show that residence at Machu Picchu was not organized around lineages or ethnicities. People of different origins share space and rituals, suggesting the formation of a A society that is diverse and cohesive because of its social functionAnd not according to kinship or geographical origin.
The coexistence of strange individuals, with different customs and languages, indicates a daily life characterized by cultural exchange and adaptation to the rules imposed by the central authority, in an architectural environment designed to preserve imperial symbolism.
Analysis of funerary practices revealed that burials at Machu Picchu also did not follow ethnic or regional patterns. People from far away shared the same cave and participated in similar funerary rites, without discrimination on the basis of their origin.
Only one case of direct relationship has been identified: mother and daughter buried together. The rest of the individuals had no family ties to each other, strengthening the hypothesis that the castle harbored a new community, emerging from forced movement and state-organized conscription.
The finds in the tombs – decorated ceramics and metal objects of distant origin – indicate that the new arrivals to Machu Picchu preserved cultural elements from their original regions. Valuable objects such as decorated ceramics and metal vessels of distant origin have been found in their graves, suggesting that some inhabitants retained items from their indigenous cultures as symbols of identity and personal memories, helping to build new forms of belonging in a different social environment.
Osteological examination revealed good general health among the majority of the Yanacona and Akla residents. There is virtually no evidence of bone wear and tear as a result of hard work It indicates living conditions superior to those found in the average Andean region at that time.
Many of the analyzed populations have reached adulthood and even old age. This fact, as well as the presence of valuable objects in the burials, indicates an average social status within the imperial system: they were neither slaves nor nobles, but had a certain level of luxury and privileges, while remaining under strict state control.
Physical and functional proximity to the Inca elite allowed the Yanacuna and Akla peoples access to exclusive cultural goods and practices. This finding modifies the traditional view of these servants as mere subordinates or victims of forced relocation, underscoring their active and relatively privileged role in daily life at Machu Picchu.
He warned that Machu Picchu currently faces a major threat: the possibility of losing its status on the World Heritage List. Maria Cecilia PaculaHistorian and former representative of Peru to UNESCO. The specialist explained that during her management it was necessary to use “persuasive diplomacy” to prevent the site from entering the category of endangered heritage.
Pakula highlighted the strategic importance of Machu Picchu to Peru’s identity, memory and cultural economy. He pointed to the urgent need to strengthen management and protection of the site, especially in the face of the increasing challenges resulting from tourism and the lack of coordination between responsible institutions.
The Peruvian scientific and cultural community agrees that the protection of Machu Picchu must be a priority and other key sites, in order to protect the historical legacy against possible international sanctions and ensure that this cosmopolitan city remains a global reference for the diversity and integration of pre-Hispanic America.