July 24: Hiram Bingham Reaches Machu Picchu
Prayer Idea
Pray for the Quechua (KEH-chuh-wuh) people.
History Note
The Inca civilization reached its peak in South America in the decades before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. The Inca Empire had spread through the Andes Mountains, touching parts of the modern countries of Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, and Chile.
The Inca created an extensive network of roads and bridges through the mountains. They built irrigation systems, palaces, and fortifications. The most famous complex is located at Machu Picchu, fifty miles from Cusco, Peru.
Machu Picchu is located 7,875 feet above sea level. The mountaintop stands about 2,000 feet above the Urubamba River Valley, which surrounds the mountain on three sides. Machu Picchu, which means “Old Peak” in the Quechua language, is the center of several Inca sites. The Quechua people, who are descendants of the Inca, still live in the Andes Mountains.
The Machu Picchu complex covers a total of about five square miles. Some 3,000 stone steps lead up to the summit. The site includes about 200 structures, mostly made of white granite and which researchers believe originally had thick thatched roofs. One evidence of the amazing skills of the Inca builders is that the cut stones used in the buildings do not have mortar holding them together, but a person cannot insert a knife between the stones because they fit together so well.
The site also includes about 700 terraces, which were used for farming. The Inca dug a canal about 2,500 feet long that led from a mountain spring and fed fountains at the site. Machu Picchu also had a drainage system that took water away from the structures.
Though the Quechua people knew about Machu Picchu, it was largely unknown to the outside world for centuries. Hiram Bingham (1875-1956) was an American archaeologist who explored several Inca sites. During a visit to Peru in 1911, a local farmer and his son led Bingham to the ruins of Machu Picchu on July 24. Though other outside explorers may have reached the site before him, Bingham brought attention to the ruins with research support from Yale University and the National Geographic Society.
Machu Picchu has become a popular tourist destination for people wanting to learn about the Inca and experience the beauty of the Andes.
A view of Machu Picchu. Photo by Nikolay 007 / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
Enjoy a virtual tour of Machu Picchu.
Find more resources at Homeschool History.
