For over 100 years, one of the most famous relics in the world, Machu Picchu, has been known by the wrong name, according to a report published in Ñawpa Pacha: Journal of the Institute of Andean Studies. The Incas(印加人) who built the ancient city likely called it Huayna Picchu, the report said. Huayna translates to “new or young”, while Picchu means “mountain peak” in the Quechua language, said professor Emily Dean. Machu means “old”, so we’ve been calling it old mountain peak, she added.
The Incan settlement was believed to have been built around 1420 as an estate(领地) for royal Incas living in Cuzco, the capital of the Incan empire. When the Spanish later conquered the Incas, Huayna Picchu was given up. It was hidden for centuries deep in the Andes mountains until American explorer Hiram Bingham rediscovered it in 1911. In his field notes, Bingham decided to call the ancient city Machu Picchu, based on information provided to him by his guide Melchor Arteaga, a farmer who lived in the area, Bauer said.
During Bauer’s research into Machu Picchu, he found evidence that its original name had been something else. The researchers began by looking at Bingham’s notes, where he stated he was uncertain of the name of the ruins when he first visited them. From there, Bauer and Amado Gonzales reviewed maps and atlases(地图册) printed before and after Bingham’s visit. And they did find some historical evidence.
The name error isn’t surprising, Dean said, because many non-Peruvian archaeologists did not put much effort into researching the names of places and didn’t fully understand the Quechua language. Despite the discovery of the area’s original name, it’s likely to remain Machu Picchu, Bauer said. “We would not suggest that the name be changed since Machu Picchu is known worldwide,” he added.
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