Huayna Picchu
The Incan citadel never found by the Spanish conquerors
Wrongly named Machu Picchu centuries after its abandonment, the Spanish conquerors overlooked this city within the immensurable Incan empire during their colonial ventures.
Their official travel journals contain only brief mentions of passing around a mountain — known as Machu Picchu, or "old peak" in the Quechua language — during their extensive explorations in the region. Nonetheless, the mountain they referred to differs from the actual location of the renowned Incan city, which was forgotten by the outside world until 1911.
Several local farmers had long been familiar with the ancient ruins, shrouded in thick vegetation. This majestic city, lost to time, stood a few hours' walk away from their homes. One could imagine that for most people, these overgrown ruins engulfed by nature would pose an eerie, intimidating sight.
One of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century happened without specifically targeting this location. A young historian, Hiram Bingham, with academic degrees in Yale, Berkeley, and Harvard universities, was led to Huayna Picchu (“young peak” in the Quechua language) while on an expedition to locate the lost city of Vitcos.
“When he climbed the mountain on July 24, 1911, he was…
