• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

1982 Yale researchers Richard Burger and Lucy Salazar publish their theory that Machu Picchu had been the royal estate of Pachacutec.

2008 Paolo Greer publishes his article “Machu Picchu Before Bingham,” which concludes that the prospector Augusto Berns likely looted Machu Picchu’s artifacts long before Bingham arrived.

2011 100th anniversary of Hiram Bingham’s first trip to Machu Picchu.

A Few Notes On Sources

A researcher could spend several lifetimes exploring the intertwined histories of Hiram Bingham, Machu Picchu, and the conquest of the Incas. Some of the tales surrounding these subjects have been told again and again, and attempting to trace information back to its original source is often impossible. Whenever possible I’ve relied on the earliest or most definitive source available, but if you spot an error or have a question about something, feel free to e-mail me at turnrightMP@gmail.com.

While writing this book, I always kept a small stack of key materials close at hand. Anyone interested in learning more about Machu Picchu would find any of them worth reading:

Portrait of an Explorer: Hiram Bingham, Discoverer of Machu Picchu, by Alfred Bingham.

This somewhat critical biography, written by one of Bingham’s seven sons, was the first attempt to place Hiram III’s career in the context of the golden age of exploration. While I disagree with its author’s thesis that Bingham was completely fixated on climbing Mt. Coropuna and required months to realize the importance of Machu Picchu, its account of the 1911 Yale Peruvian Expedition is unparalleled. Also published under the title Explorer of Machu Picchu.

The Conquest of the Incas, by John Hemming.

The definitive history of Francisco Pizarro’s occupation of Peru, and the starting point for any serious examination of Inca history.

History of the Conquest of Peru, by William H. Prescott.

Published in 1847, this book became the model for all future studies of Inca history. Its bias in favor the gallant Spaniards is offset by Prescott’s thrilling narrative style.

Inca Land, by Hiram Bingham.

The explorer’s first book-length account of his travels in Peru. Not exactly a page-turner, but it does give a more honest account of his actions and motivations than one finds in the famous Lost City of the Incas.

“In the Wonderland of Peru,” by Hiram Bingham, National Geographic, April 1913.

This is probably the best account of Bingham’s first two trips to Peru; it conveys the thrill of discovery better than his later retellings.

Lost City of the Incas, by Hiram Bingham.

Bingham’s most readable book about Machu Picchu, in which he builds a case for himself as an important explorer and for his theories regarding the citadel. The best edition includes Hugh Thomson’s insightful introduction.

The White Rock: An Exploration of the Inca Heartland, by Hugh Thomson.

A travel book that follows many of Bingham’s routes through Peru; its sequel, A Sacred Landscape (published in the UK as Cochineal Red) describes the 2002 mapping of Llactapata in depth, and features several appearances by Mr. John Leivers.

“Machu Picchu Before Bingham,” by Paolo Greer, South American Explorer Magazine, Summer 2008.

The article that dragged Bingham back into the news.

Machu Picchu: Unveiling the Mystery of the Incas, by Richard L. Burger and Lucy C. Salazar.

A thorough, scholarly overview of what is known about Machu Picchu, with particular emphasis on the authors’ theory that it was one of Pachacutec’s royal estates.

The Machu Picchu Guidebook: A Self-Guided Tour, by Ruth Wright.

An excellent guidebook that explains how and why the Incas built the various structures at Machu Picchu.

Cradle of Gold: The Story of Hiram Bingham, a Real Life Indiana Jones, and the Search for Machu Picchu, by Christopher Heaney.

An engaging modern account of Bingham’s life and career, with an emphasis on his archaeological work, by a historian who spent an enormous amount of time digging through archives on three continents.

Forgotten Vilcabamba: Final Stronghold of the Incas, by Vincent