The day was July 24, 1911. Yale University Professor Hiram Bingham was lured to the outskirts of present-day Cuzco, Peru following rumors of the lost cities of the Inca. Following the directions from a local farmer, Melchor Arteaga, Bingham fought against the cold and drizzly weather as he scaled the rocky terrain, following the path trod by an 11-year-old boy. While the morning was still young, Bingham arrived at the edge of a cliff. The vista greeting him took his breath away.

Called Machu Picchu by Arteaga and largely forgotten but for a small number of farmers, the vast Incan city consisted of an awe-inspiring network of stone building and terraces framed by tall mountains. Since his initial view, Bingham was enraptured with the site and eventually led multiple visits to further explore the ancient city in 1912, 1914, and 1915. His life and his book “Lost City of the Incas” are thought to be the inspiration for the fictional character Indiana Jones.