Earthquake struck Machu Picchu in 1450 study concludes
12/18/2018 09:00:00 PM
Construction of Machu Picchu was interrupted around 1450 by a powerful earthquake, leaving damage still evident today and prompting the Inca to perfect the seismic-resistant megalithic architecture that is now so famous throughout Cusco, according to a major new scientific study revealed by Peru’s state-run news agency Andina.
Earthquake recorded in about 1450 caused the separation of rocks in Machu Picchu [Credit: Andina]
The Cusco-Pata Research Project determined that a temblor of at least magnitude 6.5 struck during the reign of the 9th Inca Pachacutec while he was building his now iconic summer estate atop the saddle-ridge between two craggy mountain peaks.
The multidisciplinary research project began in 2016, led by the Geological, Mining and Metallurgical Institute (Ingemmet), with the participation of experts from the United Kingdom, France and Spain.
Read more at
https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2018/12/earthquake-struck-machu-picchu-in-1450.html#FvjMBy7PJxHTi5T8.99
