100 years ago, Machu Picchu was "found" by an American historian

http://www.npr.org/2011/07/24/138603939/retracing-an-explorers-footsteps-to-machu-picchu


On July 24, 1911, Machu Picchu was found by an American historian, and this weekend many are celebrating the centennial of the "discovery" of the cloud city high in the Andes — one of the most remarkable archeological sites on the planet.

Now, of course, Peruvians say that the city was not discovered a century ago today, because they never lost it. But Americans give credit to Hiram Bingham III, who climbed the Andes and saw the remarkable city, surrounded by holy mountains and filled with houses, terraces and temples that with all our modern skills and machines would be impossible to build today.

To write his new book, Turn Right At Machu Picchu, author Mark Adams retraced the steps Bingham took on his expedition. With the help of an Australian expatriate guide and a large supply of coca, Adams survived the journey to talk with NPR's Linda Wertheimer about the significance of the ruins and Bingham's legacy. They also discuss who really owns the centuries-old artifacts currently housed at Yale.

snip

And thank goodness that the conquistadors and the Spanish overlords who came after them never found it and destroyed it.

Too many years of smoking for me to make the journey. :(

One thing that bothers me is this quotation, "the remarkable city, surrounded by holy mountains and filled with houses, terraces and temples that with all our modern skills and machines would be impossible to build today."

Impractical perhaps but I highly doubt it is impossible. With enough skilled manpower it would certainly be possible to come very close to duplicating anything that has been achieved before. (I always find it annoying when these history shows state this impossibility like it is based on fact without any reasons given.)

of people before us, and jump to unrealistic conclusions when comparing the two eras/epochs. "Modern" people would probably not choose to build there at all..

I always marvel at how the Panama Canal was built with such primitive "tools", and then I see the Pyramids & remind myself that things get done by whomever is undertaking the task...if it's important enough to do :)

:evilgrin:

I get into arguments with my Yalie friend about it. He says that Bingham wasn't breaking any law when he took the items and they let him do it anyway. I told him it is Peru's patrimony and it belongs to them, not frickin' Yale...:mad: