Question: Which lost city was discovered by archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911?
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Machu Picchu.
The lost city discovered by archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911 was Machu Picchu, an ancient Incan city located in the Andes Mountains of Peru. Often referred to as the “Lost City of the Incas,” Machu Picchu is one of the most iconic archaeological sites in the world. It is perched atop a mountain ridge at an elevation of approximately 2,430 meters (7,970 feet) above sea level, overlooking the Urubamba River valley.
Before its rediscovery, Machu Picchu had been hidden from the outside world for centuries. It is believed to have been built during the height of the Inca Empire, around the mid-15th century, under the reign of Emperor Pachacuti. The site includes remarkable stone structures, terraces, temples, and aqueducts, all constructed without the use of mortar, showcasing the Inca’s extraordinary engineering skills.
Hiram Bingham, a Yale University professor, came across Machu Picchu during an expedition while searching for the last stronghold of the Inca resistance, Vilcabamba. Guided by local Indigenous farmers, Bingham unveiled the ruins shrouded in dense vegetation. Although the site was known to local inhabitants, its significance had remained largely unknown to the wider world.
Today, Machu Picchu is celebrated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a symbol of Incan ingenuity and cultural heritage. Its discovery not only brought global attention to Andean archaeology but also ignited debates over cultural preservation, tourism, and the repatriation of artifacts removed by Bingham’s expeditions.
