Archaeology & History

Previously unknown structures found near Machu Picchu

By T.K. Randall
January 3, 2022

Image: Machu Picchu
Credit: Chensiyuan / CC BY-SA 3.0 (adapted) Built high up in the Andes Mountains by the Incan civilization over 500 years ago, Machu Picchu remains one of the most fascinating and popular visitor attractions in all of Peru.

The site - as well as the surrounding Machu Picchu National Park - also remains a prime target for archaeological exploration, with new discoveries still being made on a regular basis.

One such discovery was recently made by a team of archaeologists from the University of Warsaw in Poland who used drones kitted out with LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to investigate the area around the Incan complex of Chachabamba - a ceremonial center with a focus on water.The data they collected indicated the presence of twelve previously unknown structures that had been erected in a circular and rectangular pattern around the outskirts of the complex.

It is now believed that these were once the dwellings of those who operated the site.

"There are indications that it was mainly women who looked after the complex," said Dominika Sieczkowska from the Andean Research Center of the University of Warsaw.

"As suggested by objects discovered during previous excavations by a Polish-Peruvian team."

It will be interesting to see what else, if anything, the LIDAR scans reveal about the area.

Source: Heritage Daily

Tags: Machu Picchu