Machu Picchu was abandoned in the mid-16th century, after Spanish contact and the conquest of the Inca, so the conquest cannot be excluded as a factor in its decline. The video points to rubble or cheaper masonry laid over finer polygonal walls in several buildings and reads this as evidence that the Inca had moved on from polygonal construction before Spanish contact. That sequence does not itself establish a pre-conquest date. 🏔️
Rubble over polygonal walls does not prove a pre-Spanish date at Machu Picchu
PeruTheory
Site mentioned
Key facts
- Machu Picchu was abandoned in the mid-16th century, after Spanish contact and the conquest of the Inca—not before the Spanish arrived.
- The video’s claim that rubble or cheaper masonry overlies finer polygonal work is not independently verified by the cited results.
- The masonry sequence does not by itself establish that the Inca had stopped building polygonal walls before Spanish contact.
- The cited sources discuss Machu Picchu’s abandonment but do not establish that the conquest ended polygonal masonry across the Andes.
Sources
Why was Machu Picchu abandoned?kandooadventures.com
Machu Picchu remained hidden for almost 400 years, from the early 1500s until its rediscovery in 1911. Why is Machu Picchu important in history?
History Dive: Machu Picchu, "Lost City of the Incas"odysseys-unlimited.com
Experts agree that Machu Picchu was abandoned in the mid-16th century, less than 100 years after completion. But the reason for its demise ...
History of Machu Picchuurosexpeditions.com
Machu Picchu lost importance after the Spanish conquest. Scholars believe the site was gradually deserted in the 16th century. This explains why ...
The History of Machu Picchu's Discoveryvalenciatravelcusco.com
The Incas abandoned Machu Picchu one hundred years after its construction, The city was abandoned around the early 16th century. for more than ...
The Mysteries of Machu Picchubackroads.com
Machu Picchu's abandonment less than 100 years after it was built. Machu Picchu, along ・ may have been left behind due to a civilization-wide ・ successors ...
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