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Cradle of Gold: The Story of Hiram Bingham, the Real Indiana Jones, and the Search of Machu Picchu
In 1911, a young Peruvian boy led an American explorer and Yale historian named Hiram Bingham into the ancient Incan citadel of Machu Picchu. Hidden amidst the breathtaking heights of the Andes, this settlement of temples, tombs and palaces was the Incas' greatest achievement. Tall, handsome, and sure of his destiny, Bingham believed that Machu Picchu was the Incas’ final refuge, where they fled the Spanish Conquistadors. Bingham made Machu Picchu famous, and his dispatches from the jungle cast him as the swashbuckling hero romanticized today as a true Indiana Jones-like character. But his excavation of the site raised old specters of conquest and plunder, and met with an indigenous nationalism that changed the course of Peruvian history. Though Bingham successfully realized his dream of bringing Machu Picchu’s treasure of skulls, bones and artifacts back to the United States, conflict between Yale and Peru persists through the present day over a simple Who owns Inca history?
In this grand, sweeping narrative, Christopher Heaney takes the reader into the heart of Peru's past to relive the dramatic story of the final years of the Incan empire, the exhilarating recovery of their final cities and the thought-provoking fight over their future. Drawing on original research in untapped archives, Heaney vividly portrays both a stunning landscape and the complex history of a fascinating region that continues to inspire awe and controversy today.
In this grand, sweeping narrative, Christopher Heaney takes the reader into the heart of Peru's past to relive the dramatic story of the final years of the Incan empire, the exhilarating recovery of their final cities and the thought-provoking fight over their future. Drawing on original research in untapped archives, Heaney vividly portrays both a stunning landscape and the complex history of a fascinating region that continues to inspire awe and controversy today.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
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April 12, 2026
I don't usually like biographies that much, finding them more fictional than truthful in so many instances. But Christopher Heaney's Cradle of Gold: The Story of Hiram Bingham, the Real Indiana Jones, and the Search of Machu Picchu could have gone wrong so many ways. Fortunately, it didn't.
Its hero, Hiram Bingham III had colonialism in his genes, being the grandson of the Protestant missionary (also named Hiram Bingham) who Christianized Hawaii and covered up all the lovely hula girls, At first, Hiram III planned to follow in his footsteps, but decided instead to become a famous explorer and archeologist. Toward the end of this book, Heaney writes:
Its hero, Hiram Bingham III had colonialism in his genes, being the grandson of the Protestant missionary (also named Hiram Bingham) who Christianized Hawaii and covered up all the lovely hula girls, At first, Hiram III planned to follow in his footsteps, but decided instead to become a famous explorer and archeologist. Toward the end of this book, Heaney writes:
Hiram Bingham [III] was a man of his time, thoroughly bound by American piety, wealth, and colonialist attitudes toward the native peoples of the world. To explore and excavate, he took advantage of forced Indian labor. He was raised to believe himself the hero of his life, and at times obscured the help he received from the many Peruvians who preceded him in the archives and mountains. He loved his discoveries so much that he had to possess them, losing himself in the moral jungle of that decision. Bingham sought exceptions as a white American and representative of Yale, then bent and broke Peruvian law when he didn't get special treatment. When confronted by his Peruvian collaborators, he quit the work, kept Machu Picchu's artifacts at bYale, and went into politics, where is mistakes were less easily hidden.We owe much to Bingham, but we would have owed more had he been a less conflicted person. He may have been, in many ways, the precursor of Indiana Jones, but I think Indiana would have had more scruples than Bingham did.
April 16, 2010
On the morning of July 24, 1911, a tall lecturer-cum-explorer from Yale University set off in a cold drizzle to investigate rumors of ancient Inca ruins in Peru. The explorer chopped his way through thick jungle, crawled across a "bridge" of slender logs bound together with vines, and crept through underbrush hiding venomous fer-de-lance pit vipers.
Two hours into the hike, the explorer and his two escorts came across a grass-covered hut. A pair of Indian farmers walked them a short way before handing them over to a small Indian boy. With the boy leading the way, Hiram Bingham stumbled upon one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century; and what was named in 2007 as one of the new seven wonders of the world: Machu Picchu.
Christopher Heaney's "Cradle of Gold" recounts the discovery of Machu Picchu , but also dives deeply into the expeditions leading up to this seminal archaeological discovery, as well as later expeditions and the political intrigues that still exist today.
To be clear, Bingham didn't truly 'discover' Machu Picchu. There were two Indian families living on the mountain who were even using the broad Machu Picchu plaza as a garden. It's common in modern times to reference Bingham as the "scientific" discoverer of the mountain top Inca citadel. According to Heaney, it was common during his day as well. Within the last two years, research has emerged that indicates that not only did locals know of the ruins perched above the Urubamba River, but foreign interests were both aware of Machu Picchu, and had sought out (and possibly found), treasure among the ruins. Heaney points out that the debate of who 'discovered' Machu Picchu began the moment Bingham reached the ruins and saw a name clearly scratched in charcoal on an ancient Inca wall.
Heaney spent years researching the story in Peru, the UK and across the United States to compile fresh and historic perspectives on Bingham the man, and Bingham the explorer. Heaney covers Bingham's childhood where he group up in Hawai'i with a deeply religious father and grandfather, both of whom were, and are, renown for their work in spreading and reinforcing Christianity across the Pacific.
According to Heaney, Bingham found himself caught between the very conservative world of his religious upbringing, and a strong desire to explore. Additionally, he had to live up to a well-known name and reputation that was generations-old. He ended up marrying an heiress to the Tiffany fortune which provided the early funding of his first trips to South America. He had a knack for history, writing, and leadership. The combination of the three landed him in Peru in 1911.
A second ruin-hunting expedition, with primary funding from Yale University, where Hiram graduated and lectured, and the National Geographic Society, returned him to Peru to flesh out his previous discoveries and the historical theories he proposed. Bingham explored, excavated and publicized on his own behalf. Ultimately the world embraced his Lost City which he thought was the first and last cities of the Incas. It is, in fact, the strongest of Bingham's legacies.
But there's more to the story than discovery. There's a political side that adds a rather distasteful bit of reality to the dream-like elements of the Inca city in the clouds. Within the last three years, Peru has been pushing Yale, in the press and in the courts, to return the artifacts that Bingham purportedly took with him from Peru during his series of expeditions. This dark cloud hangs over Machu Picchu which is set to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Bingham's revelation to the world. This political battle is not new. It emerged essentially as Bingham was making his round of celebrity lectures in the U.S. lauding his discoveries. And the battle didn't simply occur around Bingham, he was often right in the middle of the fray. Heaney also makes it clear that Bingham was not a mere innocent bystander, but he helped create a problem that has lasted almost a century.
Heaney's story is very detailed and extremely well researched as evidenced by 20+ pages of references and footnotes. He got his hands on several archives rich in journals and personal correspondence related to Machu Picchu and Hiram Bingham. Heaney provides a thrilling account of Bingham's journeys, through the multifaceted lenses of those related to his Peruvian expeditions, as well as his own well-known accounts.
The story of Bingham's discoveries evoke the youthful passions to take on incredible challenges in far-off lands. The realities of Bingham's jungle and mountain adventures are mere fantasies of young boys across suburban America...fantasies that are reinforced through pop culture icons like Indiana Jones. Heaney suggests (even in his title) that Indiana Jones was modeled on Hiram Bingham. He, in fact, references an old Charlton Heston film,"Secret of the Incas", upon which the costumers of Raiders of the Lost Ark based Indy's outfit. Heston's character in "Secret of the Incas" is, of course, a dead ringer for Bingham.
Like Indy, Bingham's story has good guys and bad guys. Unlike the movies the good guys don't necessarily wear the white hats and the bad guys don't necessarily wear the black ones.
Two hours into the hike, the explorer and his two escorts came across a grass-covered hut. A pair of Indian farmers walked them a short way before handing them over to a small Indian boy. With the boy leading the way, Hiram Bingham stumbled upon one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century; and what was named in 2007 as one of the new seven wonders of the world: Machu Picchu.
Christopher Heaney's "Cradle of Gold" recounts the discovery of Machu Picchu , but also dives deeply into the expeditions leading up to this seminal archaeological discovery, as well as later expeditions and the political intrigues that still exist today.
To be clear, Bingham didn't truly 'discover' Machu Picchu. There were two Indian families living on the mountain who were even using the broad Machu Picchu plaza as a garden. It's common in modern times to reference Bingham as the "scientific" discoverer of the mountain top Inca citadel. According to Heaney, it was common during his day as well. Within the last two years, research has emerged that indicates that not only did locals know of the ruins perched above the Urubamba River, but foreign interests were both aware of Machu Picchu, and had sought out (and possibly found), treasure among the ruins. Heaney points out that the debate of who 'discovered' Machu Picchu began the moment Bingham reached the ruins and saw a name clearly scratched in charcoal on an ancient Inca wall.
Heaney spent years researching the story in Peru, the UK and across the United States to compile fresh and historic perspectives on Bingham the man, and Bingham the explorer. Heaney covers Bingham's childhood where he group up in Hawai'i with a deeply religious father and grandfather, both of whom were, and are, renown for their work in spreading and reinforcing Christianity across the Pacific.
According to Heaney, Bingham found himself caught between the very conservative world of his religious upbringing, and a strong desire to explore. Additionally, he had to live up to a well-known name and reputation that was generations-old. He ended up marrying an heiress to the Tiffany fortune which provided the early funding of his first trips to South America. He had a knack for history, writing, and leadership. The combination of the three landed him in Peru in 1911.
A second ruin-hunting expedition, with primary funding from Yale University, where Hiram graduated and lectured, and the National Geographic Society, returned him to Peru to flesh out his previous discoveries and the historical theories he proposed. Bingham explored, excavated and publicized on his own behalf. Ultimately the world embraced his Lost City which he thought was the first and last cities of the Incas. It is, in fact, the strongest of Bingham's legacies.
But there's more to the story than discovery. There's a political side that adds a rather distasteful bit of reality to the dream-like elements of the Inca city in the clouds. Within the last three years, Peru has been pushing Yale, in the press and in the courts, to return the artifacts that Bingham purportedly took with him from Peru during his series of expeditions. This dark cloud hangs over Machu Picchu which is set to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Bingham's revelation to the world. This political battle is not new. It emerged essentially as Bingham was making his round of celebrity lectures in the U.S. lauding his discoveries. And the battle didn't simply occur around Bingham, he was often right in the middle of the fray. Heaney also makes it clear that Bingham was not a mere innocent bystander, but he helped create a problem that has lasted almost a century.
Heaney's story is very detailed and extremely well researched as evidenced by 20+ pages of references and footnotes. He got his hands on several archives rich in journals and personal correspondence related to Machu Picchu and Hiram Bingham. Heaney provides a thrilling account of Bingham's journeys, through the multifaceted lenses of those related to his Peruvian expeditions, as well as his own well-known accounts.
The story of Bingham's discoveries evoke the youthful passions to take on incredible challenges in far-off lands. The realities of Bingham's jungle and mountain adventures are mere fantasies of young boys across suburban America...fantasies that are reinforced through pop culture icons like Indiana Jones. Heaney suggests (even in his title) that Indiana Jones was modeled on Hiram Bingham. He, in fact, references an old Charlton Heston film,"Secret of the Incas", upon which the costumers of Raiders of the Lost Ark based Indy's outfit. Heston's character in "Secret of the Incas" is, of course, a dead ringer for Bingham.
Like Indy, Bingham's story has good guys and bad guys. Unlike the movies the good guys don't necessarily wear the white hats and the bad guys don't necessarily wear the black ones.
March 20, 2026
I was at a loss of what I wanted to read as a side project, and thumbed through the first few pages of this where I read the author describe the first scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark and said okay I'm sold. Archaeology has always interested me, though I've never read many books about it. So I thought I'd give this a shot.
This book gave me a lot of food for thought, about my own journey of discovery in expanding my interests in various subjects. Bingham was an interesting character and is of course the central focus of this story. A real-life archaeological explorer who uncovered the ruins of Machu Picchu.
It would, of course, be inaccurate to say that Bingham 'discovered,' Machu Picchu, since as the book makes clear, he himself was aware that the locals had always known it was there. But he can be fairly credited as the discoverer in the sense that, the Spanish evidently never knew about it, and possibly the Peruvian Government never knew either, and in the sense that he brought it to the attention of the world.
Bingham's explorations are part of the great surge in archaeological activity towards the end of the nineteenth century, that led to Arthur Evans discovering Knossos, to Schliemann discovering Mycenae and Troy, etc. Bingham's career came at the tail end of this movement, in the first years of the twentieth century when countries were starting to awaken to the value of their own ancient past.
The book starts off conventionally enough describing Bingham's background and upbringing. His grandparents, his parents, their missionary work in Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. It describes Bingham's days as a student at Yale, and his curious decision to learn Spanish and study Latin America.
In those days learning Spanish was comparatively rare, and many academics thought of Hispanic Civilization as a dying one that was not worth studying. There was therefore no chair at Yale for Hispanic Studies.
Bingham therefore set out for South America with the intention to retrace Bolivar's route over the Andes, and he purportedly intended to write a biography of Bolivar. It would have been interesting to see how this would have evolved. But it was not to be.
Bolivar and the Andes led Bingham to Peru and the Inca. A fascinating development in a man's academic interests and how one thing can lead to another until one, serendipitously, hits upon the subject they've always been looking for but didn't know. This resonated with me because I recently had a similar experience, and it's encouraging that Bingham was the same age as I am now when he discovered Machu Picchu and decided that the Inca were to be his life work.
While this was a noble ideal, Bingham was a product of his time and there's a darker side to his story. This is the main focus of this book, his efforts to excavate Machu Picchu and other Incan sites, his relations with the Peruvian Government and Peruvian natives, his obligations to Yale, and ultimately the meaning of his legacy.
I feel this is a balanced and fair account that gives Bingham credit where credit is due, but it by no means holds punches or acts as a hagiography. It is mentioned how a child drowned in a river and Bingham evidently did not even think it worth mentioning.
The Peruvians were treated in a cavalier and insensitive manner. They were basically forced into digging for Bingham's team, and Bingham's nonchalant treatment of human remains rubs one the wrong way.
As Heaney himself notes, these people once lived too. They loved, and fought, and cried, and felt, but their descendants were made to dig up their bones for pennies. It is not a good reflection on Bingham or the morality of the Victorian era.
Heaney makes it clear too that this was definitely an era of Anglo-Saxon arrogance and Anglo-American imperialism. He repeats a Peruvian saying "Incas si, Indios no" which means that modern Peru tends to glorify the Incan past but ignore or dismiss the plight of living Natives.
Even in Peru the Creole elites who dominated the country had long thought little of either the Inca or the still living Natives in the country's interior. It does not seem that Bingham thought much of them either.
To his credit he argued that the Native Americans were in the Western Hemisphere long before other racist archaeologists and anthropologists were arguing at the time. They were loathe to admit that the Native Americans could have achieved much of anything, and there is a short passage Heaney writes that dampened my optimism for the future.
He writes that while completing this book the movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull came out, which is set in South America but implies that the civilization built there was due to advanced extraterrestrials and not due to the Native Americans.
Heaney says he had a conversation with a cab driver who adopted this mantra, saying Machu Picchu was built by aliens. Heaney says he replied that the cab driver was selling the Incas short. I do not know if Indiana Jones intended to suggest that Native Americans could not have built a civilization like that of the Incan Empire, but now that is how it appears to me.
Bingham and his generation, of course, were no believers in extraterrestrials and knew that the ruins they saw were built by humans. But they believed the Incas were a purer, greater, race, and that the present Natives were but a pale shadow of them. That these people weren't really descendants of the mighty Incas.
One might see in this an analogy with Fallmerayer's Thesis that the modern Greeks are not descendants of the Ancient Hellenes that every European grew up admiring. Fallmerayer said the modern Greek is a degenerate mongrel made up of Slavic and Turkic blood, and so in this way the Western Europeans sought to deny the heritage even of the Greeks, so it is no surprise that archaeologists were similarly reluctant to admit any direct connection between Tahuantinsuyo and present day Natives in Peru.
As if that were not sad enough, we are given repeated interludes that are like flashbacks to the time of the conquest by Spain. I learned a lot from these, such as the Incan attempt to retake Cuzco after the conquest, and the survival of the Neo-Incan Empire until 1572. This is fascinating and encouraging stuff, it shows that the Inca had a great deal of vitality and did not succumb to Pizarro so easily.
But the tragedy is that the interludes describe how the Inca eventually did succumb. It shows the brutality of the Spaniards, the brutality of everyone involved really since some Spanish friars are executed in suitably gory fashion. It was a revolting time, and while the Inca were not shy about adopting cruel methods this hardly exonerates the Spaniards who were as deceitful and ruthless. It makes for very unsavory reading.
Perhaps Heaney means to reflect on Bingham with these interludes, since Heaney at one point describes Bingham as a conquistador without a sword.
I had long meant to read the book Keeping Their Marbles by Tiffany Jenkins, which is an examination of the recent phenomenon about repatriation of artifacts from museums across the Western World. I have not yet read it, and I cannot determine my opinion on whether artifacts should be returned or retained (Jenkins according to her book's description is on the side of the latter).
I have mixed feelings about it. This book explains that Bingham did some really shady tactics to build Yale's collection of Incan artifacts. He did not hesitate to resort to subterfuge, to lying, to smuggling. He negotiated deals with the Peruvian Government with one hand, and then cheated these agreements with the other.
The edition of this book that I read had an addition at the end that briefly described the case between Yale and Peru in which Yale finally conceded and admitted that the artifacts belong to Peru, and presumably these have been returning since. Though it also said that Bingham attempted to circumvent Peruvian law by failing to document or describe many of the items he found. So it is unclear what Yale even has.
This is a sort of poisoned legacy of Bingham and makes one wonder about the entire field of archaeology overall. Heaney notes that Bingham learned these underhanded tricks from other archaeologists who were similarly exporting artifacts illegally from other countries. Was that a common practice? Were all the archaeologists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century smuggling artifacts illegally? Are they still doing it now?
Apart from that, this book hints at other more sordid aspects of Bingham's character. I suppose we cannot judge him too harshly, since we're all human, but it is no fun to read that he took advantage of his wife's wealth, repeatedly abandoned her to go play explorer (on her dime), and then ultimately they divorced because she said he was controlling and unfaithful.
Heaney does not delve into this at all, but the very suggestion that Bingham was abusive (at least psychologically if not physically) and carried on affairs does no credit to his reputation.
The only bright spot here is that he, at times, championed Latin America in the Senate where he briefly served. But Heaney notes that even here there were limitations. Bingham, despite his interest in Hispanic culture, was eager to fight against Spain in 1898, and was, apparently, not disturbed by the American occupation of Veracruz and the fighting along the border with Pancho Villa. While a Senator he also supported the Banana Wars against Sandino.
Bingham was a complicated and at times disappointing figure. So I appreciated that both his flaws and his achievements are portrayed in a very human way. This gave me a lot to think about in a personal sense.
The only critique I have of this work is that it was at times meandering, and it was frustrating towards the end because I kept thinking the book was finished but then there would be another chapter. Epilogue, afterword, final thoughts, etc. Heaney just did not want to end the book. Towards the end, as well, it was a foray into Heaney's own life and travels, and while it is pleasant to be reminded that historians are humans too, perhaps an appropriate conclusion to a book about Hiram Bingham, this was not exactly riveting. I confess that I was soon getting tired of it and just wanting the book to be over.
This book opens a lot of questions about the morality of archaeology, about the legacy of Hiram Bingham, and about who we are and how we become ourselves. It provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of modern Peru and insights into the conquest of the Inca. Well worth the read, and the movie Secret of the Incas with Charlston Heston, mentioned in the text, is well-worth the watch for fans of Indiana Jones.
This book gave me a lot of food for thought, about my own journey of discovery in expanding my interests in various subjects. Bingham was an interesting character and is of course the central focus of this story. A real-life archaeological explorer who uncovered the ruins of Machu Picchu.
It would, of course, be inaccurate to say that Bingham 'discovered,' Machu Picchu, since as the book makes clear, he himself was aware that the locals had always known it was there. But he can be fairly credited as the discoverer in the sense that, the Spanish evidently never knew about it, and possibly the Peruvian Government never knew either, and in the sense that he brought it to the attention of the world.
Bingham's explorations are part of the great surge in archaeological activity towards the end of the nineteenth century, that led to Arthur Evans discovering Knossos, to Schliemann discovering Mycenae and Troy, etc. Bingham's career came at the tail end of this movement, in the first years of the twentieth century when countries were starting to awaken to the value of their own ancient past.
The book starts off conventionally enough describing Bingham's background and upbringing. His grandparents, his parents, their missionary work in Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. It describes Bingham's days as a student at Yale, and his curious decision to learn Spanish and study Latin America.
In those days learning Spanish was comparatively rare, and many academics thought of Hispanic Civilization as a dying one that was not worth studying. There was therefore no chair at Yale for Hispanic Studies.
Bingham therefore set out for South America with the intention to retrace Bolivar's route over the Andes, and he purportedly intended to write a biography of Bolivar. It would have been interesting to see how this would have evolved. But it was not to be.
Bolivar and the Andes led Bingham to Peru and the Inca. A fascinating development in a man's academic interests and how one thing can lead to another until one, serendipitously, hits upon the subject they've always been looking for but didn't know. This resonated with me because I recently had a similar experience, and it's encouraging that Bingham was the same age as I am now when he discovered Machu Picchu and decided that the Inca were to be his life work.
While this was a noble ideal, Bingham was a product of his time and there's a darker side to his story. This is the main focus of this book, his efforts to excavate Machu Picchu and other Incan sites, his relations with the Peruvian Government and Peruvian natives, his obligations to Yale, and ultimately the meaning of his legacy.
I feel this is a balanced and fair account that gives Bingham credit where credit is due, but it by no means holds punches or acts as a hagiography. It is mentioned how a child drowned in a river and Bingham evidently did not even think it worth mentioning.
The Peruvians were treated in a cavalier and insensitive manner. They were basically forced into digging for Bingham's team, and Bingham's nonchalant treatment of human remains rubs one the wrong way.
As Heaney himself notes, these people once lived too. They loved, and fought, and cried, and felt, but their descendants were made to dig up their bones for pennies. It is not a good reflection on Bingham or the morality of the Victorian era.
Heaney makes it clear too that this was definitely an era of Anglo-Saxon arrogance and Anglo-American imperialism. He repeats a Peruvian saying "Incas si, Indios no" which means that modern Peru tends to glorify the Incan past but ignore or dismiss the plight of living Natives.
Even in Peru the Creole elites who dominated the country had long thought little of either the Inca or the still living Natives in the country's interior. It does not seem that Bingham thought much of them either.
To his credit he argued that the Native Americans were in the Western Hemisphere long before other racist archaeologists and anthropologists were arguing at the time. They were loathe to admit that the Native Americans could have achieved much of anything, and there is a short passage Heaney writes that dampened my optimism for the future.
He writes that while completing this book the movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull came out, which is set in South America but implies that the civilization built there was due to advanced extraterrestrials and not due to the Native Americans.
Heaney says he had a conversation with a cab driver who adopted this mantra, saying Machu Picchu was built by aliens. Heaney says he replied that the cab driver was selling the Incas short. I do not know if Indiana Jones intended to suggest that Native Americans could not have built a civilization like that of the Incan Empire, but now that is how it appears to me.
Bingham and his generation, of course, were no believers in extraterrestrials and knew that the ruins they saw were built by humans. But they believed the Incas were a purer, greater, race, and that the present Natives were but a pale shadow of them. That these people weren't really descendants of the mighty Incas.
One might see in this an analogy with Fallmerayer's Thesis that the modern Greeks are not descendants of the Ancient Hellenes that every European grew up admiring. Fallmerayer said the modern Greek is a degenerate mongrel made up of Slavic and Turkic blood, and so in this way the Western Europeans sought to deny the heritage even of the Greeks, so it is no surprise that archaeologists were similarly reluctant to admit any direct connection between Tahuantinsuyo and present day Natives in Peru.
As if that were not sad enough, we are given repeated interludes that are like flashbacks to the time of the conquest by Spain. I learned a lot from these, such as the Incan attempt to retake Cuzco after the conquest, and the survival of the Neo-Incan Empire until 1572. This is fascinating and encouraging stuff, it shows that the Inca had a great deal of vitality and did not succumb to Pizarro so easily.
But the tragedy is that the interludes describe how the Inca eventually did succumb. It shows the brutality of the Spaniards, the brutality of everyone involved really since some Spanish friars are executed in suitably gory fashion. It was a revolting time, and while the Inca were not shy about adopting cruel methods this hardly exonerates the Spaniards who were as deceitful and ruthless. It makes for very unsavory reading.
Perhaps Heaney means to reflect on Bingham with these interludes, since Heaney at one point describes Bingham as a conquistador without a sword.
I had long meant to read the book Keeping Their Marbles by Tiffany Jenkins, which is an examination of the recent phenomenon about repatriation of artifacts from museums across the Western World. I have not yet read it, and I cannot determine my opinion on whether artifacts should be returned or retained (Jenkins according to her book's description is on the side of the latter).
I have mixed feelings about it. This book explains that Bingham did some really shady tactics to build Yale's collection of Incan artifacts. He did not hesitate to resort to subterfuge, to lying, to smuggling. He negotiated deals with the Peruvian Government with one hand, and then cheated these agreements with the other.
The edition of this book that I read had an addition at the end that briefly described the case between Yale and Peru in which Yale finally conceded and admitted that the artifacts belong to Peru, and presumably these have been returning since. Though it also said that Bingham attempted to circumvent Peruvian law by failing to document or describe many of the items he found. So it is unclear what Yale even has.
This is a sort of poisoned legacy of Bingham and makes one wonder about the entire field of archaeology overall. Heaney notes that Bingham learned these underhanded tricks from other archaeologists who were similarly exporting artifacts illegally from other countries. Was that a common practice? Were all the archaeologists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century smuggling artifacts illegally? Are they still doing it now?
Apart from that, this book hints at other more sordid aspects of Bingham's character. I suppose we cannot judge him too harshly, since we're all human, but it is no fun to read that he took advantage of his wife's wealth, repeatedly abandoned her to go play explorer (on her dime), and then ultimately they divorced because she said he was controlling and unfaithful.
Heaney does not delve into this at all, but the very suggestion that Bingham was abusive (at least psychologically if not physically) and carried on affairs does no credit to his reputation.
The only bright spot here is that he, at times, championed Latin America in the Senate where he briefly served. But Heaney notes that even here there were limitations. Bingham, despite his interest in Hispanic culture, was eager to fight against Spain in 1898, and was, apparently, not disturbed by the American occupation of Veracruz and the fighting along the border with Pancho Villa. While a Senator he also supported the Banana Wars against Sandino.
Bingham was a complicated and at times disappointing figure. So I appreciated that both his flaws and his achievements are portrayed in a very human way. This gave me a lot to think about in a personal sense.
The only critique I have of this work is that it was at times meandering, and it was frustrating towards the end because I kept thinking the book was finished but then there would be another chapter. Epilogue, afterword, final thoughts, etc. Heaney just did not want to end the book. Towards the end, as well, it was a foray into Heaney's own life and travels, and while it is pleasant to be reminded that historians are humans too, perhaps an appropriate conclusion to a book about Hiram Bingham, this was not exactly riveting. I confess that I was soon getting tired of it and just wanting the book to be over.
This book opens a lot of questions about the morality of archaeology, about the legacy of Hiram Bingham, and about who we are and how we become ourselves. It provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of modern Peru and insights into the conquest of the Inca. Well worth the read, and the movie Secret of the Incas with Charlston Heston, mentioned in the text, is well-worth the watch for fans of Indiana Jones.
February 20, 2014
The discovery of Machu Picchu by Hiram Bingham
This book narrates the adventure (and misadventures) of Yale University professor Hiram Bingham in the 1911 discovery of Machu Picchu, currently one of the most popular tourist spots in the Americas. With the help of Peruvian scholars like Carlos Romero and local informants like Juan Quispicusi, Bigham found Vitcos and Espiritu Pampa, scenes of the final moments of Manco Inca, Titu Cusi, and Tupac Arnaru, three of the important and tragic figures in Peruvian history. Machu Picchu represents the Inca Empire at its height, and Vitcos and Espiritu Pampa embody Inca resistance to Spanish impe¬rialism. Bingham did not understand all that he saw, and there were many Peru¬vians who had seen these ruins before him, but his desire to understand them within the story of Spanish and Inca struggle is one of the more compelling acts in the history of exploration.
His expedition paid attention to the lives of the humbler members of Inca society; the poor, and the transplanted. He was a man of his time, thoroughly bound by American piety, wealth, and colonialist attitudes towards the native peoples of Latin America. To ex¬plore and excavate, he took advantage of forced Indian labor. He was raised to believe that he is the hero of his life, and obscured the help he received from the many Peruvians who preceded him in the archives and mountains. He loved his discoveries so much that he had to possess their artifacts, losing himself in the moral jungle of that decision. Bingham sought exceptions as a white American and representative of Yale, then bent and broke Peruvian law when he didn't get special treatment. When confronted by his Peruvian collaborators, he quit academics, left Machu Picchu's artifacts at Yale, and went into politics, where he tripped once again. His high-profile expeditions raised Peruvian consciousness and criticisms of foreign ex¬ploitation of its history, unauthorized excavation and the smuggling of artifacts.
In one expedition Bingham and his companion named Coot had dodged the famed stick-up artists Butch Cassidy and the Sun¬dance Kid near Bolivia. The two outlaws had robbed a cart carrying one silver mine's payroll the week before and Bolivian soldiers had cornered and shot both the bandits. When this happened, Bingham wrote the story down, not realizing its significance. Historians Anne Meadows and Daniel Buck, however, concluded that the two men were in fact Butch Cassidy and the Sun¬dance Kid. In a strange turn of events Bing¬ham bought one of their mules not realizing his brush with another pair of American legends.
While Bingham gets the credit for the discovery of the lost city of Incas, but he is also accused of removing the archeological treasures of Peru in a clandestine fashion and many of them smuggled illegally into this country. The court battle between Yale and Peru is uncalled for; the treasures rightfully belong to Peru and Yale must return the archeological materials.
This book narrates the adventure (and misadventures) of Yale University professor Hiram Bingham in the 1911 discovery of Machu Picchu, currently one of the most popular tourist spots in the Americas. With the help of Peruvian scholars like Carlos Romero and local informants like Juan Quispicusi, Bigham found Vitcos and Espiritu Pampa, scenes of the final moments of Manco Inca, Titu Cusi, and Tupac Arnaru, three of the important and tragic figures in Peruvian history. Machu Picchu represents the Inca Empire at its height, and Vitcos and Espiritu Pampa embody Inca resistance to Spanish impe¬rialism. Bingham did not understand all that he saw, and there were many Peru¬vians who had seen these ruins before him, but his desire to understand them within the story of Spanish and Inca struggle is one of the more compelling acts in the history of exploration.
His expedition paid attention to the lives of the humbler members of Inca society; the poor, and the transplanted. He was a man of his time, thoroughly bound by American piety, wealth, and colonialist attitudes towards the native peoples of Latin America. To ex¬plore and excavate, he took advantage of forced Indian labor. He was raised to believe that he is the hero of his life, and obscured the help he received from the many Peruvians who preceded him in the archives and mountains. He loved his discoveries so much that he had to possess their artifacts, losing himself in the moral jungle of that decision. Bingham sought exceptions as a white American and representative of Yale, then bent and broke Peruvian law when he didn't get special treatment. When confronted by his Peruvian collaborators, he quit academics, left Machu Picchu's artifacts at Yale, and went into politics, where he tripped once again. His high-profile expeditions raised Peruvian consciousness and criticisms of foreign ex¬ploitation of its history, unauthorized excavation and the smuggling of artifacts.
In one expedition Bingham and his companion named Coot had dodged the famed stick-up artists Butch Cassidy and the Sun¬dance Kid near Bolivia. The two outlaws had robbed a cart carrying one silver mine's payroll the week before and Bolivian soldiers had cornered and shot both the bandits. When this happened, Bingham wrote the story down, not realizing its significance. Historians Anne Meadows and Daniel Buck, however, concluded that the two men were in fact Butch Cassidy and the Sun¬dance Kid. In a strange turn of events Bing¬ham bought one of their mules not realizing his brush with another pair of American legends.
While Bingham gets the credit for the discovery of the lost city of Incas, but he is also accused of removing the archeological treasures of Peru in a clandestine fashion and many of them smuggled illegally into this country. The court battle between Yale and Peru is uncalled for; the treasures rightfully belong to Peru and Yale must return the archeological materials.
March 20, 2025
[edited not altered in July 2026 - when I removed one star]
My problem with this book is not that it is bad, it doesn't avoid tough questions, but overall it is like a celebration of an archaeologist who worked for Himmler's Ahnenerbe. There was a time when realities were ignored but you can't do that anymore and calling Hiram Bingam 'The real Indian Jones' is just sugar coating what an awful man he was. All his theories are wrong, his presentation of Machu Picchu was disconnected from reality as any Indian Jones film, his cultural imperialism and appropriation, never mind his treatment of Peruvians of all degrees, but particularly Indians, is shameful to read about. The fact that he is still referred to as the 'discoverer' of Mahu Picchu is an example of the white Euro/USA centric view that nothing exists until they see, describe, plunder it and eventually pin on it a taxonomy they have created.
I cannot tell you how much I loath Hiram Bingham, this is not a paean of praise to him but it is not the excoriating denunciation he deserves.
My problem with this book is not that it is bad, it doesn't avoid tough questions, but overall it is like a celebration of an archaeologist who worked for Himmler's Ahnenerbe. There was a time when realities were ignored but you can't do that anymore and calling Hiram Bingam 'The real Indian Jones' is just sugar coating what an awful man he was. All his theories are wrong, his presentation of Machu Picchu was disconnected from reality as any Indian Jones film, his cultural imperialism and appropriation, never mind his treatment of Peruvians of all degrees, but particularly Indians, is shameful to read about. The fact that he is still referred to as the 'discoverer' of Mahu Picchu is an example of the white Euro/USA centric view that nothing exists until they see, describe, plunder it and eventually pin on it a taxonomy they have created.
I cannot tell you how much I loath Hiram Bingham, this is not a paean of praise to him but it is not the excoriating denunciation he deserves.
November 28, 2012
Not bad, the first part of the book (the part that actually fit the title) was good but then the author digressed. The story got bogged down in the political struggle over the artifacts and the author started rambling on about scattering a former friends ashes. First 1/3 of the book was good, second 1/3 was ok but the last 1/3 was a total snooze and I almost didn't make it through.
June 17, 2014
Kind of boring. Also, Hiram Bingham was NOT a real-life Indiana Jones. He was a dick.
July 1, 2019
The "discovery" of Incan ruins in Peru - with Machu Picchu becoming the most famous -by Hiram Bingham III is the subject of Heaney's book. It was 1911. Bingham was not an explorer nor anthropologist nor scientists. But he managed to arrange several expeditions to Peru to uncover the lost cities of the Inca - on behalf of Yale University. His plan was to use the stories of the Peruvian indigents to uncover trails, communities and the cultural life of the ancients. And, to assist in his expeditions he used the local indigents to show him the ruins.
As Bingham uncovered more and more, he became the so-called "scientific" discoverer of Machu Picchu. Most of his finds were skulls, shards of pottery, small tools, pieces of silver, etc. - and were to be taken back to Yale in the US - to create a museum of South American antiquities. However, the Peruvian government began to resent the movement of their country's antiquities being removed from Peru. Binghan did manage to ship much of his findings to Yale; however, the final shipment out of Peru was accompanied with a document that allowed Peru - at any future date- to take back any and all of their own Inca antiquities.
A good book to read with "Cradle of Gold" is Craig Child's "Finders Keepers". Child addresses the moral and legal removal of antiquities from a country - to be moved elsewhere. Who owns the history? Since the times of Bingham's expeditions and later battles with Peru, more and more excavations are being found. Poorer countries cannot afford to retrieve their own antiquities , study them or store/display them. Museums are already storing way more exhibits than they can display. How far back in time should remnants of our ancients be retained?
As Bingham uncovered more and more, he became the so-called "scientific" discoverer of Machu Picchu. Most of his finds were skulls, shards of pottery, small tools, pieces of silver, etc. - and were to be taken back to Yale in the US - to create a museum of South American antiquities. However, the Peruvian government began to resent the movement of their country's antiquities being removed from Peru. Binghan did manage to ship much of his findings to Yale; however, the final shipment out of Peru was accompanied with a document that allowed Peru - at any future date- to take back any and all of their own Inca antiquities.
A good book to read with "Cradle of Gold" is Craig Child's "Finders Keepers". Child addresses the moral and legal removal of antiquities from a country - to be moved elsewhere. Who owns the history? Since the times of Bingham's expeditions and later battles with Peru, more and more excavations are being found. Poorer countries cannot afford to retrieve their own antiquities , study them or store/display them. Museums are already storing way more exhibits than they can display. How far back in time should remnants of our ancients be retained?
April 13, 2026
If "half-stars" were available, I'd rate this 4.5 instead of 4. A few years ago I hiked the short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu via Cusco, Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo; this trip made me hungry for more history of the Incas and Machu Picchu in particular. "Cradle of Gold" is well worth reading if you want to know more about this. This book is primarily a biography of Hiram Bingham, but also a short history of the Incas and Conquistadors. It is well-researched, full of interesting facts, including Bingham's upbringing and life following his discovery of Machu Picchu, Vitcos, and Vilcabamba. It brings out both his admirable qualities as well as his questionable ones, so it seems to be a fair and accurate portrayal of him, neither castigating him nor exalting him. I especially enjoyed reading the "after" material which reveals more about the author and, happily, the return of Machu Picchu artifacts to Peru. My only criticism is that the author strays at times into speculation about what this or that person was thinking or what their motivations were, revealed by terms such as "perhaps," "may have," "likely," etc. without direct supporting material. These interpretations seem a little biased and are not necessary since the facts are so abundant and rich anyway. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it makes me want to travel to Machu Picchu again. Definitely recommend this book and admire all the research and work the author put into it.
April 20, 2018
From Goodreads: "In 1911, a young Peruvian boy led an American explorer and Yale historian named Hiram Bingham into the ancient Incan citadel of Machu Picchu. Hidden amidst the breathtaking heights of the Andes, this settlement of temples, tombs and palaces was the Incas' greatest achievement."
Although Machu Picchu had been visited by outsiders before, it was Hiram Bingham, sponsored by Yale University, that made it famous. His discoveries, notes and excavated Inca relics were treasures to the scientific world. The question that eventually became pre-eminent was "who owns these treasures?" For almost 100 years, Yale University claimed the rights to Peruvian national heritage.
Cradle of Gold was a terrific narrative of an exciting time in exploration and discovery, and also a interesting commentary on the purview of property rights.
Although Machu Picchu had been visited by outsiders before, it was Hiram Bingham, sponsored by Yale University, that made it famous. His discoveries, notes and excavated Inca relics were treasures to the scientific world. The question that eventually became pre-eminent was "who owns these treasures?" For almost 100 years, Yale University claimed the rights to Peruvian national heritage.
Cradle of Gold was a terrific narrative of an exciting time in exploration and discovery, and also a interesting commentary on the purview of property rights.
November 17, 2020
I used this book for research, and thought it presented a thorough summary of the Machu Picchu portion of Bingham's career, as well as a modern (if now outdated) look at the controversy surrounding his accomplishments in exploration and in "acquiring" artifacts for Yale's collection. Would recommend to anyone interested in the subject.
April 21, 2021
The
Inca Trail
is one of the most famous routes in the world. Dare to discover this astounding experience and receive the greatest reward of all: visiting the Historic Sanctuary of
Machu Picchu
.
June 24, 2023
I'm not sure this book knew what it wanted to be.
I think the story is good, and Heaney's work on the Peru/Yale artifacts battle is a real strength.
The reference to Indiana Jones is a hook, and works as a hook, but probably should have been explored more. The correlation of Bingham to Indy though just didn't hold up for me. Part of the problem for this book is that Heaney tries to give Bingham a fair shake, and honestly so did I. But Bingham's not a likeable protagonist. It might have worked better to compare all the ways Indiana Jones and Hiram Bingham are unalike, showing how we have a fictional archeologist from this period to admire but can't really hold that up against the historical reality.
I think the story is good, and Heaney's work on the Peru/Yale artifacts battle is a real strength.
The reference to Indiana Jones is a hook, and works as a hook, but probably should have been explored more. The correlation of Bingham to Indy though just didn't hold up for me. Part of the problem for this book is that Heaney tries to give Bingham a fair shake, and honestly so did I. But Bingham's not a likeable protagonist. It might have worked better to compare all the ways Indiana Jones and Hiram Bingham are unalike, showing how we have a fictional archeologist from this period to admire but can't really hold that up against the historical reality.
October 5, 2017
This version of Hiram Bingham's life took me back to Machu Picchu and beyond. It sure gave me a different perspective on archeology and the rights of the indigenous people. Loved it. Makes me want to travel even more!
January 12, 2023
Throughly enjoyed this book from beginning to the end. It's the story of "discovery" of Machu Picchu. But really more of a world wide exposure than a discovery. What a discovery! Such a heritage. How did they do it? Machu Picchu is on my short list on my bucket list.
May 31, 2024
I read this book before trekking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu back in 2016.
Damn the white, privileged world (I get we did know it then, but we certainly know it now).
Good book on the history of how Machu Picchu was found and what happened with all.the.things.
Damn the white, privileged world (I get we did know it then, but we certainly know it now).
Good book on the history of how Machu Picchu was found and what happened with all.the.things.
December 10, 2025
An excellent history on Hiram Bingham’s “uncovering” of Machu Picchu. While Bingham didn’t discover the ruin, the grounds were actually being farmed, when he was led to them by local residents, he certainly brought Machu Picchu to the attention of historians and archaeologists at the time.
October 30, 2018
After visiting Machu Picchu in September, I wanted to know more about it's discovery. This book gave me all the details! Very interesting!
January 11, 2022
I kind of wish I had read this before I went to Peru. And now, I really want to go back and see it one more time.
July 8, 2022
fifty two book club 2022: read a book relating to the word "gold"
March 19, 2023
I read this while cruising South America and it gave detailed information of the search for Machu Pic
April 13, 2023
I wanted to like this book so much...but it got bogged down in the minute details.
October 15, 2010
In his book, Heaney utilizes an easy, conversational style to tell an interesting and surprising tale of the life and adventures of Hiram Bingham. The reader is treated to Indiana Jones-like stories of the explorer’s travels throughout Peru and of the wonderful discoveries he made. Heaney’s use of original sources is at times inspired and always appropriate. The little tidbits about Bingham and his family are often poignant and truly create a feeling in the reader that one knows the man himself.
At the same time, the reader is shown the sometimes shady underbelly of the profession of archaeology (or perhaps just “exploring”) and its connections to the mistreatment of indigenous people, the illicit artifact trade, and much more. Sadly, these practices date back hundreds or thousands of years, perhaps as far back as humanity has existed in a form resembling that of today.
In many cases, Bingham represents a sort of “renaissance man” that belongs to a different era. He lived a highly varied life, spending time on isolated islands -- at sea and in the jungle. He met a great number of people from all walks of life and from all over the world. However, as Heaney writes, Bingham was the hero of his own life.
Bingham treated the world almost as his personal plaything; he expected to get what he wanted and to make use of it as he saw fit. He ostensibly followed the rules, but felt few qualms about bending them as it suited his needs. When the rules became too strong to bend to his will, he simply changed games, moving into politics instead. As a man of experience and pedigree, he found early success in this venture as well.
It is this sense of “easy” success and entitlement that shines through the story most of all, not merely of Bingham personally, but also of the “civilized” world in general. For much of human history (including perhaps our own current time), humanity has divided itself into segments. To the extent that they are aware of each other, each segment feels free to judge and place a value on the others.
In Bingham’s time, this was most definitely the case. Theories such as Social Darwinism and Eugenics came and went, but always the “civilized” nations felt they were the best qualified to care for humanity’s history. In fact, they often felt that they needed to care for humanity’s history. This feeling extended even over artifacts and locations where the local countries were actively fighting for their right to control their own cultural discoveries. Thus, the people with sufficient power and motivation felt they were the only ones who cared enough -- the only ones who could care enough -- to properly preserve historical items.
Unfortunately, this attitude led to the widespread removal of artifacts from their homelands to be displayed (or hidden in storage) in far-flung museums and galleries. This practice became something of a competition amongst the wealthier nations of the world. In one sense, the reader sides with the explorers and researchers as they are at least preferable to unsupervised and rampant looting simply for personal gain. We want to see the museums of the world display artifacts and sites in such a way that the viewer can truly gain an understanding and appreciation for all that has come before.
However, as Heaney points out, this viewing need not take place in Bingham’s New Haven, CT. In fact, many times, such a viewing might be more effective if the items could be studied closer to home, providing the opportunity for the most interested parties to see and appreciate them. Sometimes this might even include people who can trace their remote ancestry directly to those who hail from the era of a cultural site.
In the end, the book represents a fascinating and at times gripping story of Bingham’s life. In terms of what this amazing man’s experiences can teach us about the discovery and study of antiquities today, Heaney only touches briefly upon the topic, picking up the theme throughout the overarching narrative of Bingham’s movie-script of a life. He helps the reader understand what it is about humanity that might make us seek to make discoveries, to possess ancient objects at whatever the cost. Heaney does not, however, go far enough in elucidating ways to reign in these exuberances. In fairness, this was not the focus of the book, but Bingham provides such fertile soil, that the reader justifiably might expect more.
At the same time, the reader is shown the sometimes shady underbelly of the profession of archaeology (or perhaps just “exploring”) and its connections to the mistreatment of indigenous people, the illicit artifact trade, and much more. Sadly, these practices date back hundreds or thousands of years, perhaps as far back as humanity has existed in a form resembling that of today.
In many cases, Bingham represents a sort of “renaissance man” that belongs to a different era. He lived a highly varied life, spending time on isolated islands -- at sea and in the jungle. He met a great number of people from all walks of life and from all over the world. However, as Heaney writes, Bingham was the hero of his own life.
Bingham treated the world almost as his personal plaything; he expected to get what he wanted and to make use of it as he saw fit. He ostensibly followed the rules, but felt few qualms about bending them as it suited his needs. When the rules became too strong to bend to his will, he simply changed games, moving into politics instead. As a man of experience and pedigree, he found early success in this venture as well.
It is this sense of “easy” success and entitlement that shines through the story most of all, not merely of Bingham personally, but also of the “civilized” world in general. For much of human history (including perhaps our own current time), humanity has divided itself into segments. To the extent that they are aware of each other, each segment feels free to judge and place a value on the others.
In Bingham’s time, this was most definitely the case. Theories such as Social Darwinism and Eugenics came and went, but always the “civilized” nations felt they were the best qualified to care for humanity’s history. In fact, they often felt that they needed to care for humanity’s history. This feeling extended even over artifacts and locations where the local countries were actively fighting for their right to control their own cultural discoveries. Thus, the people with sufficient power and motivation felt they were the only ones who cared enough -- the only ones who could care enough -- to properly preserve historical items.
Unfortunately, this attitude led to the widespread removal of artifacts from their homelands to be displayed (or hidden in storage) in far-flung museums and galleries. This practice became something of a competition amongst the wealthier nations of the world. In one sense, the reader sides with the explorers and researchers as they are at least preferable to unsupervised and rampant looting simply for personal gain. We want to see the museums of the world display artifacts and sites in such a way that the viewer can truly gain an understanding and appreciation for all that has come before.
However, as Heaney points out, this viewing need not take place in Bingham’s New Haven, CT. In fact, many times, such a viewing might be more effective if the items could be studied closer to home, providing the opportunity for the most interested parties to see and appreciate them. Sometimes this might even include people who can trace their remote ancestry directly to those who hail from the era of a cultural site.
In the end, the book represents a fascinating and at times gripping story of Bingham’s life. In terms of what this amazing man’s experiences can teach us about the discovery and study of antiquities today, Heaney only touches briefly upon the topic, picking up the theme throughout the overarching narrative of Bingham’s movie-script of a life. He helps the reader understand what it is about humanity that might make us seek to make discoveries, to possess ancient objects at whatever the cost. Heaney does not, however, go far enough in elucidating ways to reign in these exuberances. In fairness, this was not the focus of the book, but Bingham provides such fertile soil, that the reader justifiably might expect more.
April 22, 2015
One of my dreams is to go to Peru. It is a land of beauty, enriched with culture and a history that both fascinates and haunts me. Most travellers lucky enough to venture to Peru endeavour to visit Machu Picchu and walk the Inca Trail. The magnetism to this spot could be neatly described as a “historical cosmos in miniature”. Machu Picchu, or “Old Peak”, is a symbolic reminder of the great Inca Empire that stretched the breadth of the west coast of South America, climbing to the highest mountains and touching the clouds, bringing them closer to the sun and stars, their iconic vision of “light and truth”. Along the Trail is Warmiwañusqa or “Dead Woman’s Pass” which is said to offer spectacular views between the mountains. From here are stone baths where the Incas used to wash their gold. The Spanish invasion of the 1500s changed the Inca history forever. The conquistadors brought fear, death, disease, Catholicism and a bloody greed for gold. One could argue that the Incas were more civilised and the Spanish more like savages.
Christopher Heaney’s Cradle of Gold details the Indiana Jones-esque background of Hiram Bingham and his prosperous marriage to a Miss Tiffany, a diamond fortune in tow, and the speculations of Machu Picchu itself, as well as the political battles for ownership of its remains.
Since the explorations lead by Hiram Bingham that stumbled across Machu Picchu on July 24th 1911, the mysteries that shroud Machu Picchu have been brought to the fore by the National Geographic Society, Yale University and the global media. Archaeological finds (mostly skeletons and pottery) were smuggled to Yale and some were almost lost to the sea forever when the Turrialba ran aground soon after the Titanic sunk on May 31st 1991. There is an Inca Museum in Cusco that I would be very interested in visiting as well as a train named after the explorer himself that takes you from Machu Picchu to the town below. I wonder what the situation is now with regards to these historical artefacts. It is ironic that the Incas have their Empire shattered and the modern Peruvians have what remnants were left taken from them, by more white men whose names will be accentuated as the discoverers and safe-keepers of South American history and academia.
Exactness is impossible with regards to why Machu Picchu was built in the first place but speculations offer an interesting blend of notions. Some thought it might be Vilcabamba, the last City of the Incas or the last resting place of the Virgins of the Suns, but its routes run deeper than this and the skeletons found indicate a mix of men and women whose joints were worn and backs were bent from physical toil. One historian believes it is “now [in 2011] understood that it is a site of regional, spiritual authority as well as a royal estate whose upkeep was paid for by the familial cult that surrounded [Emperor Pachacuti’s] mummy”. I like the idea that Machu Picchu was a “concevidayoc”, translating as a spot where one may be preserved from harm and a “casa alegre” or happy home.
In the present day, tourists and historians alike can enjoy the climb up, hopefully not with too much “soroche”, altitude sickness, and marvel at the ruins of Incan masonic grandeur and the views over the Andes. Heaney describes the architecture that was built without a trace of cement as perfectly “fitted together as a glass stopper is fitted to a bottle”. Here you can also find an Intihuatana, a sun post like a sundial the Incas used as a clock and calendar, probably used to dictate crop cycles and sun worship. My imagination gives Machu Picchu a vivid impression of a pure city, glowing with white and gold, surrounded by the lush green of sun-kissed foliage, at one with nature with mantels of crops encompassing the mountainside. Its people would have prospered with an expert knowledge of agriculture and a spiritual completeness and sense of peace, safe in the mountains.
Christopher Heaney’s Cradle of Gold details the Indiana Jones-esque background of Hiram Bingham and his prosperous marriage to a Miss Tiffany, a diamond fortune in tow, and the speculations of Machu Picchu itself, as well as the political battles for ownership of its remains.
Since the explorations lead by Hiram Bingham that stumbled across Machu Picchu on July 24th 1911, the mysteries that shroud Machu Picchu have been brought to the fore by the National Geographic Society, Yale University and the global media. Archaeological finds (mostly skeletons and pottery) were smuggled to Yale and some were almost lost to the sea forever when the Turrialba ran aground soon after the Titanic sunk on May 31st 1991. There is an Inca Museum in Cusco that I would be very interested in visiting as well as a train named after the explorer himself that takes you from Machu Picchu to the town below. I wonder what the situation is now with regards to these historical artefacts. It is ironic that the Incas have their Empire shattered and the modern Peruvians have what remnants were left taken from them, by more white men whose names will be accentuated as the discoverers and safe-keepers of South American history and academia.
Exactness is impossible with regards to why Machu Picchu was built in the first place but speculations offer an interesting blend of notions. Some thought it might be Vilcabamba, the last City of the Incas or the last resting place of the Virgins of the Suns, but its routes run deeper than this and the skeletons found indicate a mix of men and women whose joints were worn and backs were bent from physical toil. One historian believes it is “now [in 2011] understood that it is a site of regional, spiritual authority as well as a royal estate whose upkeep was paid for by the familial cult that surrounded [Emperor Pachacuti’s] mummy”. I like the idea that Machu Picchu was a “concevidayoc”, translating as a spot where one may be preserved from harm and a “casa alegre” or happy home.
In the present day, tourists and historians alike can enjoy the climb up, hopefully not with too much “soroche”, altitude sickness, and marvel at the ruins of Incan masonic grandeur and the views over the Andes. Heaney describes the architecture that was built without a trace of cement as perfectly “fitted together as a glass stopper is fitted to a bottle”. Here you can also find an Intihuatana, a sun post like a sundial the Incas used as a clock and calendar, probably used to dictate crop cycles and sun worship. My imagination gives Machu Picchu a vivid impression of a pure city, glowing with white and gold, surrounded by the lush green of sun-kissed foliage, at one with nature with mantels of crops encompassing the mountainside. Its people would have prospered with an expert knowledge of agriculture and a spiritual completeness and sense of peace, safe in the mountains.
June 9, 2016
For starters, I feel I must admit that my interest in archaeology, exploration and ancient civilisations was the result of playing the original Tomb Raider on the Playstation back in 1996.
It made me think about how people in the past lived, the secrets and artefacts left behind and what we could find out from these. I guess I loved the mystery of it all and the sense of adventure in rediscovering something that had been lost for such a long time.
It also inspired my life-long desire to visit Peru. When I spotted this book in a charity book shop, I picked it up straight away, wanting to find out even more about the history of a place I've wanted to visit for such a long time.
I was so excited to read the book that at first I was quite surprised at how small the text was. It wasn't a major issue but it felt a little bit like a struggle knowing the text was so small and the chapters were so long as well (I like to read complete chapters before stopping..)
I also found it to be quite 'heavy', in the sense that it was full of lots of names, dates and other information that took quite a while to digest and sort out in my head, and I found myself constantly saying how it felt like I was reading a scientific paper or journal. It took me a long time to get through.
Having said this, by no means does this mean that I didn't enjoy it. I loved finding out more about the history and life of the man, Hiram Bingham, who 'rediscovered' Machu Picchu and other Inca sites ... even if I did find myself regarding him with a mixture of respect, admiration and also disbelief at some questionable moral decisions.
Most of all, I loved reading about the journey to the discovery and the descriptions of the sites and artefacts found. Wishing I had somehow made the discovery myself and imagining what it must have felt like.
One day I will go to Peru and I will visit Machu Picchu and Vilcabamba and other such sites mentioned in this book. And I feel like I will appreciate it all the more for having read this book and learning even more about the history and lives of the Inca civilisation.
It made me think about how people in the past lived, the secrets and artefacts left behind and what we could find out from these. I guess I loved the mystery of it all and the sense of adventure in rediscovering something that had been lost for such a long time.
It also inspired my life-long desire to visit Peru. When I spotted this book in a charity book shop, I picked it up straight away, wanting to find out even more about the history of a place I've wanted to visit for such a long time.
I was so excited to read the book that at first I was quite surprised at how small the text was. It wasn't a major issue but it felt a little bit like a struggle knowing the text was so small and the chapters were so long as well (I like to read complete chapters before stopping..)
I also found it to be quite 'heavy', in the sense that it was full of lots of names, dates and other information that took quite a while to digest and sort out in my head, and I found myself constantly saying how it felt like I was reading a scientific paper or journal. It took me a long time to get through.
Having said this, by no means does this mean that I didn't enjoy it. I loved finding out more about the history and life of the man, Hiram Bingham, who 'rediscovered' Machu Picchu and other Inca sites ... even if I did find myself regarding him with a mixture of respect, admiration and also disbelief at some questionable moral decisions.
Most of all, I loved reading about the journey to the discovery and the descriptions of the sites and artefacts found. Wishing I had somehow made the discovery myself and imagining what it must have felt like.
One day I will go to Peru and I will visit Machu Picchu and Vilcabamba and other such sites mentioned in this book. And I feel like I will appreciate it all the more for having read this book and learning even more about the history and lives of the Inca civilisation.
January 27, 2010
I must say at the outset that I wanted to be able to rate this book higher than I ultimately did. I found the quality of the writing to be choppy, and it wasn't until the last third of the book that it was really able to hold my interest (proof of this is that I finished and reviewed at least half a dozen other books in the same timeframe as I started this one -- including two that were *significantly* longer).
It's really a pity, because Hiram Bingham's story should be presented in the interesting fashion that it deserves. The so-called "scientific discoverer" of Machu Picchu was an adventuring son of missionaries; marrying into the Tiffany & Co. fortune afforded him the opportunity to travel all over the world as a gentleman explorer (I am hesitant to refer to him as an archaeologist).
Bingham's work depended on the exploitation of Peruvian labor (allowable under law at the time), but even then there were laws against exporting artifacts from that country. So, Bingham struck a deal in which the government in which any items he took out of the country were on loan and would be returned upon request.
That wasn't the end of the story, of course. Items were poorly catalogued, if at all, and were shipped to Yale via means as varied as steamer trunks, crates and hand luggage. (This is to say nothing of private collections that were purchased and smuggled out of the country.)
As we approach the centenary of Bingham's discovery of Machu Picchu, Peru has been requesting the return of the loaned artifacts for nearly 80 years to no avail. There have been numerous articles in the newspaper of late about the matter, and I have no doubt that Heaney and his publishing company have carefully timed the release of this book to coincide with that historical finding.
(Review based on uncorrected advance proof.)
It's really a pity, because Hiram Bingham's story should be presented in the interesting fashion that it deserves. The so-called "scientific discoverer" of Machu Picchu was an adventuring son of missionaries; marrying into the Tiffany & Co. fortune afforded him the opportunity to travel all over the world as a gentleman explorer (I am hesitant to refer to him as an archaeologist).
Bingham's work depended on the exploitation of Peruvian labor (allowable under law at the time), but even then there were laws against exporting artifacts from that country. So, Bingham struck a deal in which the government in which any items he took out of the country were on loan and would be returned upon request.
That wasn't the end of the story, of course. Items were poorly catalogued, if at all, and were shipped to Yale via means as varied as steamer trunks, crates and hand luggage. (This is to say nothing of private collections that were purchased and smuggled out of the country.)
As we approach the centenary of Bingham's discovery of Machu Picchu, Peru has been requesting the return of the loaned artifacts for nearly 80 years to no avail. There have been numerous articles in the newspaper of late about the matter, and I have no doubt that Heaney and his publishing company have carefully timed the release of this book to coincide with that historical finding.
(Review based on uncorrected advance proof.)
December 5, 2011
2.5 stars. It's not that I didn't think this book was interesting--it was--especially the first half. But the print was itty bitty, and that in itself limited my enjoyment of the book. My eyes hurt after time spent reading this work. No fun.
Once the story began talking about the political and legal battles that went on between Peru, Yale, and Hiram Bingham, somehow things got a little jumbled and hard to follow, and I did feel my interest falling off a bit. I was a little disappointed in this. I enjoy political machinations, and legal battles over archaeology are also intriguing. But something was missing from those aspects of the story in this book. I wish I could put my finger on what that was.
I didn't come away from this book particularly admiring Hiram Bingham or the individuals and institutions responsible for bringing Inca artifacts and bones out of Peru and into the United States. Sure, the discovery was cool, and good on Bingham for pursuing his dreams, but because of the way this story was told, I couldn't help but see echoes of the greed, colonialism, racism, and treasure hunting that the Spaniards inflicted upon the Inca empire in the 16th century. I ended up finding the morals of the people in this book to be a little bit, um, "flexible," and a little bit distasteful. It was a different time, though, and different mindsets prevailed. That is sometimes hard to remember when reading a book about history.
Once the story began talking about the political and legal battles that went on between Peru, Yale, and Hiram Bingham, somehow things got a little jumbled and hard to follow, and I did feel my interest falling off a bit. I was a little disappointed in this. I enjoy political machinations, and legal battles over archaeology are also intriguing. But something was missing from those aspects of the story in this book. I wish I could put my finger on what that was.
I didn't come away from this book particularly admiring Hiram Bingham or the individuals and institutions responsible for bringing Inca artifacts and bones out of Peru and into the United States. Sure, the discovery was cool, and good on Bingham for pursuing his dreams, but because of the way this story was told, I couldn't help but see echoes of the greed, colonialism, racism, and treasure hunting that the Spaniards inflicted upon the Inca empire in the 16th century. I ended up finding the morals of the people in this book to be a little bit, um, "flexible," and a little bit distasteful. It was a different time, though, and different mindsets prevailed. That is sometimes hard to remember when reading a book about history.
November 26, 2012
Ok, first of all Goodreads deleted my original review but I would just like to say that this book was fantastic and explained Hiram Bingham's discovery of Machu Picchu down to how he struggled or didn't struggle with getting artifacts back to Yale's Peabody Museum.
I like how he brings up the debate about whether or not museums in the US should have as many artifacts from other countries as it does. Heaney accredits his being able to see things in museums as one of the reasons he was inspired to travel and become a historian. On the other hand doesn't the country of origin have some claim to items that were taken from it's country?
Although in the book it hadn't happened yet but Yale sent back a huge portion of it's collection to Cusco Peru in 2011 the centenial of Bingham's dicovery of Machu Picchu. The artifacts are now on display at the Casa de Concha Museum.
I highly recommend this book and it came highly recommended by Paolo Greer, another noted Machu Pichu and Peru historian. You will not be disappointed! Heaney makes sure to bring up many of the observations that Bingham made and compare them to what is now thought to be true about Machu Picchu. It's a fast read and highly interesting and entertaining. You won't be let down.
I like how he brings up the debate about whether or not museums in the US should have as many artifacts from other countries as it does. Heaney accredits his being able to see things in museums as one of the reasons he was inspired to travel and become a historian. On the other hand doesn't the country of origin have some claim to items that were taken from it's country?
Although in the book it hadn't happened yet but Yale sent back a huge portion of it's collection to Cusco Peru in 2011 the centenial of Bingham's dicovery of Machu Picchu. The artifacts are now on display at the Casa de Concha Museum.
I highly recommend this book and it came highly recommended by Paolo Greer, another noted Machu Pichu and Peru historian. You will not be disappointed! Heaney makes sure to bring up many of the observations that Bingham made and compare them to what is now thought to be true about Machu Picchu. It's a fast read and highly interesting and entertaining. You won't be let down.
July 30, 2013
Indiana Jones never had to deal with national cultural patrimony laws, but Christopher Heaney's book demonstrates the tangled webs created through evolving concepts of archaeology, science, cultural patrimony, and foreign exploration. Based on primary source documentary research and the author's own descriptions of Incan ruins, this book follows Hiram Bingham's unlikely career as a jungle explorer and amateur archaeologist during his multiple expeditions to Peru and his descent into increasingly more desperate schemes to provide Yale University with the artifacts from Macchu Picchu and other Incan sites. The narrative was intriguing and enjoyable to read and moved along at a good pace. I also liked the occasional flashbacks to actual Incan history and the tragic events that occurred at many sites that Bingham visited. I was also very glad to read the book's afterword, which describes the cooperative efforts of both Yale and the Peruvian government to return the artifacts to their place of origin. This is definitely a victory for indigenous peoples everywhere who are engaged in their own struggles to gain the return of both human remains and cultural artifacts.
Recommended!
Recommended!
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July 30, 2011I'm reading up on Machu Picchu, and this was a surprisingly quick read. Interesting to think about Hiram Bingham III whose grandfather "a sa rue" in Honolulu near the university campus. I'm not a fan of Spielberg films, but it's interesting to see how "Hi" became "Indy" via Charlton Heston's "Harry" in the fifties. Hi had at least three lives (but only two wives), as a missionary without vocation, a professor at yale, an adventure archeologist first in Colombia following the traces of Bolívar then in Peru searching for traces of Lost Cities in the Andes, then moving on to aviation, the military, and a political career ending in corruption. He robbed graves, not of gold, but of bones, shards, mummies. He smuggled some of his loot to Yale, but was brought to trial and largely
discredited. He went from rejecting the idea of an advanced Inca culture to making extreme (and largely erroneous) claims for it. After reading about Bingham's self promotion and arrogance, it's a relief to know the relics are going back to Peru.
discredited. He went from rejecting the idea of an advanced Inca culture to making extreme (and largely erroneous) claims for it. After reading about Bingham's self promotion and arrogance, it's a relief to know the relics are going back to Peru.
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