July 24 - The Discovery of Machu Picchu

This Day in History: 24 July 2020

 

24 July 1911

 

109 years ago, today, the Machu Picchu ruins were discovered by American archaeologist Hiram Bingham. Machu Picchu was an ancient Inca settlement in Peru that is now one of the world's top tourist destinations. It is believed to have been a summer retreat for Inca leaders, whose civilisation was wiped out by Spanish invaders in the 16^th century. Its existence was a secret known only to the peasants living in the region. However, this changed in the summer of 1911, when Bingham arrived into the region with a small team of explorers to search for the famous 'lost' city of the Incas.

 

Bingham and his team travelled on foot and by mule from Cuzco into the Urubamba Valley. There, they met a local farmer who told them of some of the ruin locations. The farmer called the mountain where the ruins were sited 'Machu Picchu', which meant 'old peak'. The next day, after a tough climb, Bingham met a group of peasants who lead the rest of the way. Bingham spread the word about his discovery in a book, causing eager tourists to flock to Peru and up the Inca trail. Today, more than 300,000 people make their way to Machu Picchu every year, risking the possibility of landslides and large crowds to witness the sun set over the stone monuments of the city.

 

Want to find out more about Machu Picchu? Click here for more information on its discovery, or here for more about the Incas.