New AMS dates for Machu Picchu: results and implications

Abstract

Abstract

Influence of Air Parcels From Northern and Southern Hemispheres on Radiocarbon-Based Inca Chronology

“…As for Chachabamba, the use of mixed curves does indeed help to clarify this foundation, which most likely began only after the initial expansion of Machu Picchu, and Chachabamba was itself ritually enclosed by the Incas (most likely) before the Spanish reached the region (Bastante et al 2020). These assumptions support the hypothesis already suggested by Ziolkowski (2020) and Burger (2021), according to which the historical chronology according to Rowe is outdated in the context of the urbanization of the Machu Picchu region.…”

“…Radiocarbon dates were recalibrated with the adequate mix of IntCal20 and SHCal20 according to results obtained from the HYSLIT model (Section 2.3) for five relevant sites: 1) Machu Picchu (13.16ºS, 72.53ºW, 2800 m asl) (Zi ółkowski et al 2020, Burger et al 2021 in Peru; 2) Chachabamba and Choquesuysuy (Zi ółkowski et al 2020) in Peru; 3) Chamical in Ecuador (3.48ºS,79.26ºW, 1380 m asl) (Ogburn 2012), and 4) Tiquischullpa in Bolivia (16.87ºS,68.63ºW, 4060 m asl) (Pärssinen and Siiriäinen 1997). The lists of samples along with sample types are presented in Table 1.…”

“…The lists of samples along with sample types are presented in Table 1. We used the chronology models presented by Zi ółkowski et al (2020), Ogburn (2012), andBurger et al (2021) to show how the results differ depending on the contribution of each calibration curve.…”

“…Recently published studies by Zi ółkowski et al (2020) and Burger et al (2021) show that the sites could have been constructed about 30 years earlier than assumed in the historical chronology presented by Rowe (1945). In both studies, radiocarbon-dated artifacts (bones, teeth, or charcoal) have been used to obtain the calendar date corresponding to the beginning of the occupation of the Machu Picchu (Zi ółkowski et al 2020;Burger et al 2021), Choqesuysuy and Chachabamba (Zi ółkowski et al 2020). Thus, already at the level of the very beginning of the Incan imperial expansion in the Machu Picchu area, there are discrepancies between the historical dates and recent findings.…”

“…Thus, the period of the dynamic development of the Inca State, as postulated by the historical chronology, was brief. However, recent dating studies based on the radiocarbon method have revealed several discrepancies in the historical chronology, suggesting that the expansion of the Inca State occurred over a longer time frame than has heretofore been understood (Ogbourn 2012;Marsh et al 2017;Ziółkowski et al 2020;Burger et al 2021). However, radiocarbon-based chronologies have presented discrepancies resulting from prior, different calibration curves.…”