Hiram Bingham was an American academic, explorer, and politician, best known for his rediscovery of the ancient Machu Picchu in 1911. Born on November 19, 1875, in Honolulu, Hawaii, Bingham was the son of a missionary, also named Hiram Bingham, who was a prominent figure in the Hawaiian Islands. Bingham's early life was marked by his upbringing in a deeply religious household, which influenced his character and later his approach to exploration.
Bingham's academic journey began at Yale University, where he graduated in 1898. He later attended the University of California, Berkeley, earning a degree in 1900. He then returned to Yale to pursue a Ph.D., which he completed in 1905. His dissertation focused on the history of Peru, a subject that would later become central to his career as an explorer.
In 1907, Bingham embarked on his first trip to South America, primarily to study the Inca civilization. His interest in Inca civilization led him to explore various sites, but it was his 1911 expedition that brought him international fame. While on this expedition, he came across Machu Picchu, which at the time was largely unknown to the outside world. This site, believed to have been a royal estate or religious retreat for the Inca Emperor Pachacuti, was covered in vegetation and largely forgotten by the local population. Bingham's documentation of the site, including photographs and sketches, helped bring it to global attention, although there's debate about whether he was the first to rediscover it, as locals had knowledge of the ruins.
Following his discovery, Bingham continued to work as an academic, becoming a professor of history at Yale. He also wrote several books, including "Lost City of the Incas" which detailed his explorations. However, his career took a turn when he entered politics. In 1924, Bingham was elected as a United States Senator from Connecticut, serving one term from 1924 to 1933. His political career was less notable than his academic and exploration work, and he did not seek re-election.
After his political career, Bingham returned to academia and continued to write about his explorations. He was involved in controversies regarding the ownership of artifacts from Machu Picchu, many of which were taken to Yale for study. In 2008, an agreement was made to return these artifacts to Peru. Bingham died on June 6, 1956, in Washington, D.C.
His legacy is complex; while he brought attention to Machu Picchu, his methods of acquiring artifacts and his initial claims of discovery have been criticized. Nonetheless, his efforts significantly contributed to the understanding of Inca history and archaeology.