Machu Picchu being called by 'wrong name' for over 100 years: Report
After over 100 years, it turns out that we may be calling Machu Picchu by the wrong name, according to a report published in Ñawpa Pacha: Journal of the Institute of Andean Studies.
Historians continue to unearth new facts about Peru's Machu Picchu, although, the iconic archaeological site is more than 600 years old.
The previous year, researchers discovered that the ancient Incan city is at least 30 years older than was previously thought.
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This time, they claim the "Incas" who built the ancient city likely called it "Huayna Picchu".
If we break down these two words, Huayna translates to "new or young," while Picchu means "mountain peak" in the Indigenous Quechua language, Emily Dean, professor of anthropology at Southern Utah University in Cedar City, told CNN.
Meanwhile, Machu means "old," so we've been calling it an old mountain peak, she added.
The Incan settlement was believed to have been built around 1420 as an estate for royal Incas living in Cuzco, the capital of the Incan empire, according to report author Brian Bauer, professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Huayna Picchu was abandoned when the Spaniards later conquered the Incas, the report said.
It was hidden for centuries deep in the Andes mountains until American explorer Hiram Bingham rediscovered it in 1911.
He decided to call the ancient city Machu Picchu, based on information provided to him by his guide Melchor Arteaga.
Researchers Brian Bauer and Donato Amado Gonzales investigated Bingham notes, where he stated he was uncertain of the name of the ruins when he first visited them
Then they reviewed maps and atlases printed before and after Bingham's visit.
One of the most stunning documents was a report from 1588 stating the Indigenous people of the Vilcabamba region were considering returning to Huayna Picchu, Bauer told CNN.
Will the name change?
There are no plans to change the name of one of South America's most popular tourist destinations.
More than 7,000 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains, Machu Picchu is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site.
For years, it has drawn about 1 million visitors a year (perhaps, too many) who want a first-hand glimpse of the wonders of the 15th century Incan Empire.
Even researchers do not recommend a name change for the historical site.
"We would not suggest that the name be changed since Machu Picchu is known worldwide," he added.
