Machu Picchu

1 report
Machu Picchu is an archaeological site where structures, deposits, artifacts, and environmental evidence preserve past activity. The historical case is built from occupation phase, artifact assemblage, and site preservation, while gaps in preservation limit claims about identity, date, or purpose.

Current work on Machu Picchu is assessed through architecture or material culture; conservation and interpretation; and excavation and survey history. For questions involving conservation and interpretation, the account uses provenance and spatial context as the measured record and field records to expose uncertainty; the evidence is read with the caveat that disturbance, incomplete excavation, and later restoration can limit reconstruction.