The discoveries were made on the slopes of Mount Yanantin, on the eastern side of the Andes, during research conducted in late July and early August.
The longest clearly identifiable section of road is at least 1.2 km. A zigzagging layout and other features of the roads are consistent with Inca construction. However, researchers have yet to establish exactly when they were built.
The team used LiDAR laser technology to scan from a drone, because the area is covered by dense tropical rainforest. After vegetation is filtered out of the data, researchers can create a 3D model of the terrain and identify small differences in elevation and regular shapes.
The discoveries are on the eastern side of the Urubamba River, an area that had previously received less archaeological attention.
“This discovery complements and significantly modifies hypotheses about how the entire complex functioned”, said Professor Mariusz Ziółkowski, director of the University of Warsaw’s Centre for Andean Studies.
The Polish team has been conducting research around Machu Picchu since 2008, in cooperation with Peruvian cultural authorities and the National Archaeological Park.
The researchers plan to continue LiDAR surveys and seek permission to carry out targeted excavations of some of the newly discovered roads. The exact locations of the discoveries are being kept secret to protect the sites from uncontrolled searches.
Peru’s Machu Picchu and its surroundings have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1983.
(sp/jh)
Source: PAP