Newswise — New Haven, Conn. —According to a recent study published in Science Advances, a genetic analysis has revealed that the inhabitants of Machu Picchu, the famous 15th-century Inca palace in southern Peru, were a varied and diverse community. These individuals, who lived, worked, and eventually were laid to rest in the vicinity of Cusco, the Inca capital, represented a wide range of ethnic backgrounds from different regions within the Inca empire.
This groundbreaking genomic research is the first of its kind to explore the genetic diversity of those buried at Machu Picchu and the surrounding areas. The study builds upon previous archaeological and bio-archaeological investigations, including a 2021 study led by Yale, which had already challenged the conventional dating of Machu Picchu (AD 1420-1530) by demonstrating that the site is even older than previously believed.
Archaeologist Richard Burger, the Charles J. MacCurdy Professor of Anthropology in Yale's Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the lead researcher for the Machu Picchu project, stated that the DNA analysis not only corroborates historical accounts indicating the presence of diverse ethnic groups among the retainers under Inca rule but also unveils a far greater diversity of origins than previously suspected. Individuals were brought from various corners of the entire Inca empire, surpassing earlier assumptions.
Burger further explained that their analyses revealed a highly heterogeneous population at Machu Picchu, with individuals showcasing genetic ancestries associated with groups from different regions spanning the Inca empire, encompassing the coast, highlands, and Amazonia. This genetic evidence sheds new light on the multicultural nature of the community that resided in and around the renowned Inca palace.
A collaborative research effort involving teams from Yale, Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco (UNSAAC), the University of California-Santa Cruz (UCSC), Tulane University, the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, and other institutions conducted the study. This research was carried out under an agreement to repatriate artifacts and human remains from the Hiram Bingham collection, returning them to Cusco for exhibition, conservation, and further investigation.
Machu Picchu, arguably the most renowned archaeological site in the Western Hemisphere, has historically attracted over a million visitors prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, until recent times, little information was available regarding the people who once inhabited this remarkable site.
Recent research indicates that Machu Picchu was likely a royal estate linked to the lineage of Pachacuti, the revered emperor who is credited with establishing the Inca empire. The estate served as a seasonal residence for royalty, while a group of servants and retainers, known as yanacona, remained behind to manage the estate's affairs. These yanacona were brought from various conquered regions and were considered to have certain privileges compared to the general population.
In the course of the new study, the researchers obtained DNA data from 34 individuals buried at Machu Picchu, who were believed to be retainers or attendants appointed to serve the Inca royal family. Additionally, they analyzed the DNA of 34 individuals from Cusco, serving as a comparative group for their investigations.
Lead author Lucy Salazar, a research associate in Yale's Department of Anthropology, revealed that the study yielded an unexpected discovery: a considerable number of the retainers at Machu Picchu had origins from the Amazonian region. Remarkably, approximately one-third of these individuals displayed DNA with substantial traces of Amazonian ancestry, with representation from at least two distinct zones within the Amazon.
Another surprising outcome was the prevalence of mixed ancestries among the individuals. The researchers observed that many of the inhabitants had genetic backgrounds that originated from distant regions, indicating a pattern of individuals at Machu Picchu forming relationships with mates from diverse genetic groups. This finding suggests a unique and diverse population at the site, unlike the homogeneity commonly seen in agricultural villages.
Co-corresponding author Lars Fehren-Schmitz, a professor at UC-SC and former Yale post-doctoral researcher, emphasized that their study's primary focus was not on the lives of "royals" or political elites, but rather on those individuals who were brought to Machu Picchu to serve the nobility and maintain the functioning of the site. This unique perspective provided valuable insights into the lives of a highly diverse community, comprising individuals and families who were subject to Inca forced relocation and resettlement policies, commonly referred to as retainers or yanacona.
Co-corresponding author Jason Nesbitt, a former Yale Ph.D. student and current associate professor at Tulane, pointed out that only a few of the individuals buried at Machu Picchu hailed from the Inca heartland of the Cuzco Valley or the adjacent Lake Titicaca region. Surprisingly, the four cemetery areas at Machu Picchu were not segregated based on genomic origins. Even within a single burial cave, individuals displayed diverse genomic backgrounds, indicating a cosmopolitan community.
In light of these findings, lead researcher Richard Burger suggested that Machu Picchu was a place where people from different backgrounds coexisted, intermingled, and shared their lives, challenging the notion of a homogenous society.
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