Machu Picchu was only rediscovered in 1911 by the American archaeologist Hiram Bingham. The ruins lie 1000 ft above the Urubamba river. Current researchers tend to believe that Machu Picchu was a country resort for elite Incans. At any given time, there were no more than 750 people living at Machu Picchu. It was a remarkably well hidden and well protected place. Located far up in the mountains, visitors had to travel up long valleys littered with Inca check points and watch towers. Remarkably, the Spanish conquistadors missed the site, and Bingham only located the site by chance. On a wet day in 1911, he traveled up the slopes with a few companions from his expedition. On meeting local peasants, they told him about ancient ruins that covered the area. To Bingham's amazement, he had found the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu.
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