Hiram BinghamBorn 19 Nov 1875; died 6 Jun 1956 at age 80.American archaeologist and politician who in 1911 discovered Machu Picchu in a remote part of the Peruvian Andes. In 1911, while he was a Yale University professor searching for the lost Inca capital of Vilcabamba, he paid a Peruvian guide to lead him to a nearby ruin. The guide took him 2,000 feet (610 meters) up a precipitous slope, and straight into the "lost" city of Machu Picchu. As one of the greatest archaeological sites in the Americas, Machu Picchu remains a mystery. Some scholars believe it to be the birthplace of the Inca Empire; others see it as a ceremonial center or military citadel. Bingham also discovered the Inca city of Viitcos. His work was a catalyst for archaeological study in the Andes and in other parts of South America. |
