The Machu Pichu in Peru was once run by the Incas who were known for more than just their interesting architecture. As such, new DNA analyses of their servants found how they came from distant lands.
Inca Slave Origins
According to Live Science, the origin of the slaves found within Machu Pichu who belonged to the Incas weren't from local lands. A new study suggests that they were from territories that the empire conquered.
Over 30 people discovered buried at Machu Pichu were examined, and the researchers found that they were likely servants of the elite Incan. Scientists discovered the servants' DNA and studied and compared it to the ancient and modern people around the same region.
Their study showed that the servants came elsewhere and weren't locals. With that, the study published in the Science Advances journal on July 26 revealed that they hailed from the Andean highlands, which was located around Peru's coast.
Who Are the Incas?
The Incas were people from the 15th to mid-16th century that ruled over the South American Andean region, and it was only until the Spanish arrived that they were toppled over. A little over a century before the Incas were invaded by the Spanish, the Incas were known for building a massive palace in southern Peru's mountains.
The palace was likely for Pachacuti, an Incan emperor, whose rule stretched from 1438 to 1471. As such, much is known about the Incas but not so much so about their servants, especially when it came to their lives and origins.
Machu Pichu was estimated to have about 750 people living there, which included everyone from royalty to servants. This number was most likely the population during May and October when the city would reach its peak season.
Inca Servants
The male servants that were under the royals were called "yanacona" and with regard to their ethnicity, they weren't Incan by blood. Instead, they were either given as gifts to the emperor or taken from lands that had been conquered.
Regarding the females, it was said that they were removed from their homelands and given to male servants as wives. These women were called "aclla"; and together with the yanacona, they were responsible for caring for the emperor, guests, and other royals.
Their duties included singing, hunting, dancing, and taking part in important religious ceremonies. Researchers were able to uncover around 200 people that had been given a non-Incan-style burial and had died from 1420 to 1532.
The scientists assumed that these graves were for the yanacona and aclla servants. Science Direct reports that the Inca society consisted of a diverse ethnic background due to what they found among the burial population of the Machu Pichu.
The scientists found that most males came from highland regions while females were more diverse when it came to their ancestries.
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