Ancient Inca city on high mountain 4,000m

Thanks to laser scanning technology, scientists discovered the remains of hundreds of years old buildings on the Andes Mountains.

Wat'a archeological site in Peru with traces of the Incas.(Photo: Newsweek).

Explorer Albert Lin and archaeologists Adan Choqque Arce and Thomas Hardy use LiDAR laser scanning technology to determine the size of the Inca city at the Wat'a archaeological site (meaning "island" in the vernacular) of the Andes, Newsweek on 10/11 reported. The city is older and lies about 1,500 meters higher than Machu Picchu. It is very special because it was built by the Incas on a residential area of ​​the former people.

"Going there is a big challenge. With an altitude of about 4,000m and empty space because there are not many trees, you are almost baked in the sun. Once you get there, you will be able to see the wide scenery. the surrounding mountains are very beautiful, and the old city is an ideal place to view the valleys below, which will become a commercial route, possibly even leading to Machu Picchu. " , Lin shared.

Earlier, experts had studied this city using traditional archaeological methods. They found traces of some tombs, ceremonial places, residential areas and surrounding walls. However, with the first use of LiDAR technology, archaeologists have discovered many new architectures.

Basically, LiDAR allowed the team to see through bushes and countless cacti covering the top of the mountain. The device on the drone releases laser pulses downwards at a frequency of hundreds of thousands of times per hour. The data collected will be used to create detailed 3D maps, revealing the topography of the land and any ancient artificial structures that normally cannot be seen. The team recognized the unique hierarchical architecture of the Incas and the circular architecture of earlier humans.

The famous Inca ancient city, Machu Picchu, was built in the 15th century. The city at Wat'a formed earlier should be like a template for Machu Picchu."It can be considered as a development step on the road to build Machu Picchu. I think this city is very interesting , " Lin said.

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