MACHU PICCHU IS DISCOVERED
The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu has sat in the mountains of Peru for centuries, but it didn’t become famous as a significant archaeological site until the early 20th century In 1911, Hiram Bingham - a lecturer in Latin American history at Yale University – travelled to Peru in search of Vilcabamba, the last Incan stronghold against Spanish rule, which fell in the late 16th century It was during this trip that a local guide brought Bingham to Machu Picchu, where he found himself in awe of the wellpreserved stonework and temples. It took a few years before his claim that Machu Picchu was Vilcabamba was disproved.
Machu Picchu was built around 1450, but abandoned during the Spanish Conquest, after which it was forgotten
ALAMY X3, GETTY X4, THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES X1