Photo by Hiram Binghan. 



THE MAIN ROAD TO MACHU PICCHU 



A nearer view of the graded approach to Machu Picchu; part of the principal road which 

 connected the cit}' with the outer world 



tors were greatly annoyed by the veno- 

 mous serpents of the region, and several 

 of these serpents were killed and pre- 

 served in alcohol. 



The burial caves occur generally on 

 the sides of the mountain below the 

 ruins. As they are in well nigh inacces- 

 sible locations and more or less covered 

 with dense tropical jungle, the work of 

 visiting and excavating them was ex- 

 tremely arduous, and it is most highly to 

 the credit of those engaged in it that so 

 many caves were opened and so much 

 material gathered. Practically every 

 square rod of the sides of the ridge was 

 explored. The last caves that were 

 opened were very near the Urubamba 

 River itself, where the ancient laborers 

 may have had their huts. 



It is too early as yet to give any gen- 

 eralizations with regard to the anatomi- 

 cal characteristics of the ^lachu Picchu 

 people; as evidenced by their skeletal re- 

 mains. A few of the skulls show de- 

 cided marks of artificial deformation, 

 but most of them are normal. 



Mr. Erdis eventually made the discov- 

 ery that by digging at least i8 inches 

 luiderground, at the mouths of small 



caves, under large boulders, within 200 

 yards of the Three Window Teiuple, he 

 was almost sure to find one or two ar- 

 ticles of bronze, either pins, tweezers, 

 pendants, or other ornaments. 



Selecting two of the most reliable 

 workmen and ofifering them a sliding 

 scale of rewards for everything they 

 might find of value, he succeeded, in the 

 course of four months' faithful atten- 

 tion to the details of clearing and exca- 

 vating, in getting together about 200 little 

 bronzes, a lesser number of pots, and 50 

 cases of sherds. The nattu-e of the more 

 interesting finds can be better under- 

 stood by the accompanying photograph 

 (see page 573). This material is now all 

 in X'ew Haven, where it is to be arranged 

 by Dr. Eaton and ]\Ir. Erdis. 



WHAT CLKARING THK JUXCI.K REVKALKn 



The change made in the appearance 

 of Machu Picchu by the four months of 

 clearing and excavating is graphically 

 brought out by comparing the pictures 

 on pages 404, 424, 432. and 499 with 

 those on pages 433, 434, 490. 498, and 

 512. the one set taken either before the 

 work began or early in its stages and the 

 latter taken at the end of the season. It 



449 



