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About the disoccupation when discovered |
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The archaeological discovery |
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The foreigner and the child then went for a walk through the weeds... and it turned out the stones belonged to old fallen walls and the old houses were the buildings of an Inca citadel and the plots were agricultural fields that had been built by the Incas in the form of terraces. The foreigner and the child returned very excited from their walk.
They had discovered Machu Picchu.
There is no case for arguing whether before that day others knew or visited the site. Bingham's adventure was something more than to get to know or visit some ruins, like the farmers in their daily chores or the hacienda owners from Cuzco who had their lands there did. From 24 July 1911 on began the archaeological study of the place and an important testimony of the history of humanity was considered known. |
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Bingham took little time in returning. The second time he was accompanied by other people, by other foreigners like him.
They did a cleanup of the forest, cutting trees and pulling off weeds. Very carefully perusing the place, they obtained a plan of the ruined citadel with the help of an engineer who made the first topographic studies. This visit allowed them to discover almost everything we know now, including a beautiful shrine on the back of the peak Wayna Picchu.
In 1912 and in 1915 Bingham returned with a team of experts in different specialties, although it is necessary to point out, without an archaeologist to do intensive excavations inside and out of the chambers. At that time Peruvian and North American archaeology had not yet taken off, although in Europe there was already a methodology in respect to procedures for studying archeological remains. In Peru only Max Uhle had carried out explorations and some enthusiasts had begun to take an interest in the study of the remains of ancient American civilizations. So, although the excavations were directed by the engineer Ellwood C. Erdis, the topographer entrusted with the logistics of the expedition, he did so with criteria that at that very time were really advanced in regard to those of other scholars or enthusiasts. It was a period in which archaeological excavations were oriented to discovering tombs and palaces. That was what Erdis did, who, with the medical doctor and osteologist from Yale University, Dr. George F. Eaton, and, of course, with Melquiades Richarte and Anacleto Alvarez, discovered the tombs of Machu Picchu.
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