MACHU PICCHU, Peru -- The Spanish conquerors who swept through Peru in the mid-16th century thought they had successfully plundered every Incan temple in the Andes -- building ornate Spanish-style churches atop each indigenous sacred site they encountered.

They missed one. The conquistadors never discovered Machu Picchu, a green world of terraces and temples, residences and fortifications and storage buildings, tucked away in the Andes, 8,000 feet above sea level. It stood silent for centuries before it became what it is today -- one of South America's greatest tourist attractions.

For decades, the story has been that Yale professor Hiram Bingham, in a feat that smacks of Indiana Jones, ''discovered'' Machu Picchu and its treasure in 1911. In fact, according to Beto Rengifo Solano, one of Peru's leading archaeological guides, Bingham was led to the site by a barefoot, young boy. When he got there, four families were living among these grandest of Incan ruins. Its greatest treasure had long since been plundered.

A recent article in The New York Times goes one step further, reporting the existence of property records that show repeated purchases and sale of lands including Machu Picchu before 1911, and suggesting the possibility that a German logger may have made off with the site's best treasures. Other early visitors may well have included a British missionary and a German businessman.

Nonetheless, Bingham did climb up to Machu Picchu in 1911 and returned several times. He shot wonderful photographs that caught the imagination of the world, and carried away a great amount of treasure (although it now appears it may have been second-rate booty, left behind by others). He took his finds -- including mummies, ceramics, silver statues, jewelry -- to Yale, where they remain today.

Peru wants it back. In November 2008, the government announced that it would take legal action to recover the artifacts. The National Geographic Society, which sponsored Bingham's trips, supports Peru, noting that the objects were only on loan to Yale.

SECRETS KEPT

If the details about the ''discovery'' of this treasured Inca site are complex and ever-changing, Machu Picchu, the place, remains eternally the same and endlessly enchanting.

Theories abound about how the Incas used Machu Picchu. According to Rengifo Solano, Machu Picchu Citadel was neither the traditional ''birthplace'' of the Incas, nor was it their last stronghold in the battle against the Spanish -- two long-popular theories.

He believes that this aerie was a ''favored retreat for Inca nobility,'' built as a getaway for the Incan emperor Pachacuti around 1460. It was never self-sufficient, he says, pointing to the five different Inca paths to the site that suggest importation of coca, fruits, fibers and roots from below.

Yet, whatever its primary purpose, Machu Picchu had sacred importance, and the Incas had a keen knowledge of the heavens. Its Temple of the Sun -- built on natural bedrock -- was probably used for retreats that involved fire. On the day of the winter solstice (June 22, south of the equator) the sun shines directly through a small window in the temple, onto the center of a large rock believed to be an Incan calendar.

The nearby Temple of the Condor reflects a belief that when these over-sized birds soared into the sky, they could bring souls back to life. The Main Temple was probably used for human sacrifice, according to Rengifo Solano. An altar found littered with broken pottery, probably served as a funeral rock.

Join the discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.repliedToText@

@Nyx.replyAnswerText@

Reply to this Comment @Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@