Mentioned in hundreds of books, articles, advertisements and legal documents, Machu Picchu, one of the 7 wonders of the world, is one of the most famous archeological sites in the world. But, for over 100 years, it seems to have been known by the wrong name.
According to a report published in Ñawpa Pacha: Journal of the Institute of Andean Studies, the Inca people, a pastoral tribe who built the ancient city, probably named it Huayna Picchu.
Huayna translates to "young," while Picchu means "mountain top" in the Quechua indigenous language, Emily Dean, a professor of anthropology, told CNN. Machu means "old.
According to the report's author, Brian Bauer, professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Inca settlement is believed to have been built around 1420 as a property for kings living in Cuzco, the capital of the Inca empire. The site was rediscovered in 1911 by American explorer Hiram Bingham.
Despite revealing the area's original name, Machu Picchu is likely to remain, Bauer said. The Peruvian people have embraced the current name, so it will not change.
