A new study seeks to trace the origins of many of the attendants who lived at the famous archaeological site Machu Picchu during its heyday. Using DNA, the results open a window into the remarkable construction, which was built without mortar or even wheels during the 15th century.
Hundreds of workers built Machu Picchu by pushing heavy stones uphill or carving them directly out of the mountainside’s bedrock. For walls, they used a method called “idquo ashlar” in which stones were fitted together precisely.
To this day, hundreds of thousands of people visit the mountainside complex built for the Incan emperor Pachacuti. At its highest point – the dramatic Citadel section – the complex rises more than 7,800 feet above sea level into the clouds. Its narrow walkways connect to agricultural terraces, roads, pathways and about 200 buildings that served religious, astronomical and domestic purposes.
Machu Picchu served as a ...
