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See the Machu Picchu “discovery” plaques

Search the rock face near the entrance to Machu Picchu and you’ll see a series of plaques dedicated to the men involved in the “rediscovery” of the Inca citadel. The earliest bronze plaques, erected in 1948 and 1961, are dedicated to Hiram Bingham with no mention of the locals who helped him. In 1993, a simple stone tablet was erected, finally paying tribute to “Melchor Arteaga, Richarte and Álvarez,” three of the men who knew of Machu Picchu and helped Bingham get there.

At a glance

Destinations

Machu Picchu

Activity
Culture, Archaeology

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