Publisher's Synopsis
Hiram Bingham (1875 - 1956) was an academic, explorer, treasure hunter and politician from the United States. He obtained degrees from Yale, UCLA Berkeley, and a PhD. from Harvard. He taught history and politics at Harvard and then served as preceptor under Woodrow Wilson at Princeton. In the 58 pages of this booklet you will find but one of the results of Bingham's journeys of discovery into the interior of Peru (See also INCA LAND - ISBN: 978-1-907256-69-1.) The Incas lived in this land of violent contrasts. In Inca Land one may pass within a few hours from alpine landscapes of snow and glaciers to tropical, humid settings, lush with tree ferns. The story of the Incas is still in a maze of doubt and contradiction. It was this mystery and the romance of nineteenth-century exploration that first led Bingham into the relatively unknown interior of ancient Peru, the Land of the Incas. In the very last paragraph of this booklet, in a throw-away sentence, Bingham writes, ..".....until someone explores the present village of Vilcabamba and its vicinity...." Little did he know when he wrote those words in 1909 that a mere two years later he would be the expedition leader that explored this region sometimes called 'the Cradle of the Incas'." It was then he made the discovery for which he became famous - that of Machu Picchu, the fabled Inca citadel - and the world has been captivated by the mystery and romance of the Land of the Inca's ever since. 2011 is the centennial year of Bingham's famous announcement and this booklet has been republished, in part, to celebrate his achievement. It has also been republished to raise funds for PROJECT PERU which gives ongoing and practical support to those who live in extreme poverty in the desert shanty towns of Lima, Peru. 33% of the Publisher's profit will be donated to PROJECT PERU.
