THE IvOST CITY OF THF, INCAS : MACHU PICCHU 



This city, probably built by the Incas 2,000 years ago, was uncovered and excavated by 

 Prof. Hiram Bingham, under the auspices of the National Geographic Society and Yale 

 University. Its beauty of situation and the mystery of its past make it one of the most 

 interesting groups of ancient buildings in the world. 



THE STORY OF MACHU PICCHU 



The Peruvian Expeditions of the National Geographic 

 Society and Yale University 



By Hiram Bingham, Director 



The GEOGRAPHIC Magazine; in April, ipij, printed an article, "The Wonder- 

 land of Peru," by Hiram Bingham, zvith 2j0 illustrations, describing the mysterious 

 city of Machu Ficchu, uncovered by the National Geographic Society-Yale Uni- 

 versity Peruvian Expedition of 1912, of which Dr. Bingham was the Director. 

 Every one zvJio read this article zuanted to knozu ivJien this marvelous city of refuge 

 on the mountain top zvas built, for hozv many centuries people lived there amid 

 the clouds, and hozv on the steep mountain sides they could grozv enough to eat. 

 That the researches of Dr. Bingham during the past tzvo years have throzvn much 

 light on the pu::ding history of this ancient and mysterious city discovered by him 

 is attested by the following fascinating narrative. 



The discoveries by the expedition proz'ed so increasingly valuable that ivhen 

 Dr. Bingham submitted plans for continuing explorations in Peru in ipi.f-ip[j 

 the Research Committee of the A'ational Geographic Society subscribed for this 

 purpose $12,000 from its research fund of 1914 and $20,000 from the research 

 fund of TQi^. Friends of Yale University have also generously contributed 

 $20,000 for the Peruvian zcork of Dr. Bingham during 1914-191^. 



Members of the Xational Geographic Society zvho Jiaz'e been elected since 

 September. loi^. and zvho desire Professor Bingham's first report, "The JJ'onder- 

 land of Peru" ( t88 pages. 2=i0 illustrations, and a panorama of Machu Ficchu, 

 614 .1- j8 inches), printed in the Geographic Mag.-xzine, April. 1913, can secure 

 copies from the Society at 2^ cents each. 



READERS of the account of the 

 work accomplished by the Peru- 

 -vian Expedition of igi2. published 

 in the April, 191 3, number of the Na- 

 tional Geographic Magaztxe (pages 

 409-414) will remember that we felt that 

 it was probable that the ruins now called 

 Alachu Picchu were those of the cradle 



of the Inca EiTipire, Tampu-tocco, or 

 'A\^indow Tavern." 



During the past year and a half we 

 have been making a thorough study of 

 all the available ancient chronicles and 

 of the bones, pots, and stones collected 

 in 1912, in order to find out all we could 

 about Tampu-tocco and see whether we 



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