Over the past 40 years, one of the most iconic covers of Hispanic Engineer magazine has been the Fall 2024 edition, which features a statue of the Inca Pachacutec.
Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, commonly known as Pachacútec, was the ninth Sapa Inca of the Chiefdom of Cusco, which he transformed into the Inca Empire. Most archaeologists now believe that the famous Inca site of Machu Picchu was constructed as an estate for Pachacuti.
Besides this striking cover, the Fall 2024 issue of Hispanic Engineer magazine also highlights the city of Tenochtitlan and other ancient landmarks from the Maya, Aztecs, and Incas.
The magazine has consistently showcased individuals in multidisciplinary fields that combine natural sciences, such as biology, chemistry, and physics, with engineering to analyze artifacts, understand past environments, and date remains.
This week, Nature reported how an Indigenous computer scientist uses artificial intelligence (AI) to revive lost languages and empower Indigenous people. The AI researcher and co-founder of an AI institute program approaches his work with patience and empathy.
Similarly, a groundbreaking study on National DNA Day in 2025 revealed new insights into genetics and genomics.
Published on April 30 in Nature, the study details how a Native American tribe collaborated with genomicists to confirm a connection to an iconic ancient site.
The research found that DNA from ancient and present-day Picuris Pueblo members established a link between the tribe and the renowned Chaco Canyon Center.
This project was initiated by the leaders of Picuris Pueblo, an Indigenous American tribe based near Taos, New Mexico, who guided the research process and how the findings were shared.
Historically, members of Picuris Pueblo have known of their ancestral connections to the ancient settlements at Chaco Canyon.
The collaboration between Picuris Pueblo and a leading ancient genomics lab has produced genetic evidence linking the Picuris people to the ancient inhabitants of Chaco Canyon.
A genomicist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, who identifies as Diné (or Navajo), stated that the study represents a significant advancement.
Craig Quanchello, the lieutenant governor of Picuris Pueblo and one of the paper’s lead authors, expressed hope that the study’s conclusions would persuade various stakeholders, including the U.S. government, that his tribe should have a voice in the future of Chaco Canyon.
The ancient Native American ruins in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, date back over 1,000 years.
The Picuris Pueblo tribe, numbering around 300 people, has collaborated with professional archaeologists since the 1960s.
The research focuses on human occupation in the Taos region since around AD 900. Human remains uncovered during excavations were returned to the tribe in the 1990s following the passage of a U.S. repatriation law.
In 2018, archaeologists at Southern Methodist University (a campus in Taos) identified a set of Picuris Pueblo remains that had previously been excluded from repatriation efforts and informed the tribe. The study exemplifies an unprecedented partnership between the members of Picuris Pueblo and one of the leading ancient genomics labs.
Michael Running Wolf leads artificial-intelligence initiatives to revive lost languages and empower Indigenous people.https://t.co/yPznR0TyEI
— nature (@Nature) May 2, 2025
Nature research paper: Picuris Pueblo oral history and genomics reveal continuity in US Southwesthttps://t.co/TJpbQJgvIy
— nature (@Nature) April 30, 2025
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