The Population Genetics of Machu Picchu

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Since its discovery a century ago, Machu Picchu has become an iconic archaeological site, inspiring researchers and visitors alike. Its history and function, however, are unclear and hypotheses have been advanced ranging from Machu Picchu as a royal estate, sacred shrine, or city. Here we present the preliminary results of our genomic study of human burials found at Machu Picchu. Genome-wide and mitochondrial data were obtained from 34 individuals buried in Machu Picchu and 40 from a variety of contemporaneous archaeological sites in the Sacred Valley and Cuzco. Combined with previously published isotopic and archaeological work, these data allow us to define the diversity of the Machu Picchu burial population and sheds light on the resident population’s origin, kinship, and the integration of migrants from different parts of the empire. This in turn provides a broader context for understanding the population genetics of the Inca empire as a whole.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 25392