CONCLUSIONS. 95 



withdrawal from the community of most of the active males, to take part in military opera- 

 tions. It will be recalled that with few exceptions the men buried here were individuals 

 of inferior physical development, men who fell far short of the generally accepted definition 

 of the warrior type. This, however, is a condition that would as naturally obtain in a 

 priest-ridden holy city as in a city depleted during war-time of its able-bodied fighting men. 

 On the whole the first hypothesis advanced is probably the more credible of the two. 



In order to make sure that no objection could be raised, on historical grounds, to the 

 theory that there was a convent at Machu Picchu, the Director of the Expedition was 

 consulted. He was able, if not to solve the problem, at least to throw additional light on it 

 and to add greatly to its interest, by referring to Father Calancha's Coronica moralizada 

 den Orden de San Augustin en el Peru, written in 1638, which tells of the visit of two 

 Spanish priests to Vilcabamba-the-Old, a city of unknown location, but possibly to be identified 

 with Machu Picchu. Professor Bingham has since then* related this stoiy of the remark- 

 able experiences of the priests while attempting to convert to Christianity the inmates of the 

 ancient city of idolatiy. Whether or not Machu Picchu was once known by another name, 

 the significant fact remains that a large majority of the human interments found in its 

 burial caves are female, and that many of these, representing women of both highland and 

 coastal descent, pertain to what may be termed a refined high-bred physical type. This is 

 important, for from what is known of the Virgins of the Sun it appears that only the most 

 attractive young women of the Empire were selected for this highly honorable service, 

 which was in some ways comparable to that of the Goddess Vesta' at Rome, but with this 

 difference, that the Inca could choose a consort from the acclahuasi, or could assign one to 

 some distinguished person of royal blood whom he wished especially to honor. 



Elsewhere in this report, I have referred to the fact that persons of common origin 01 

 of little account were forbidden the privilege of burial in the vicinity of the Temple of the 

 Sun at Pachacamac. It is not, however, necessary to suppose that this rule extended 

 even to skilful artisans employed about the temple. The same may have been true of 

 the burial regulations at Machu Picchu, so that a small proportion of male interments does ' 

 not render untenable the theory advanced in explanation of the large number of female 

 interments. Viewing human nature broadly and without inquiring too intimately into the 

 duties and manner of life of the Virgins of the Sun, no insurmountable obstacle to the 

 acceptance of this theory is raised by the occasional occurrence of infantile remains. It is 

 probable, too, that other women of high rank, not connected with convent or temple, were 

 buried in the caves of the mountainside. 



The problem of the age of the interments is of very great importance. At the same time, 

 it is most difficult to solve fully and satisfactorily. I have already touched upon it while 

 describing the contents of the graves, and there is comparatively little to be added by way 

 of conclusion. It will, I think, be found impossible to show whether the majority of th^ 

 graves are pre-Columbian or post-Columbian. That most of them present the essential 

 characteristics of pre-Columbian culture is beyond dispute. 



Because of our present limited knowledge of Peruvian pathology, it is necessary to guard 

 against hasty conclusions upon the age of certain diseased human bones described and figured 

 in this report. It is only a very few years since any American skeletal material known to 



* National Geographic Magazine, February, 1915. 



