Our culture has a habit of idealizing explorers - emphasizing their bravery, energy, intelligence, and determination. Christopher Heaney's story of Hiram Bingham's explorations in Peru, and his "discovery" of Machu Picchu and some other Peruvian locations which were critical in the history of the Incas, combines an appreciation for these traits but tempers this portrait of Bingham with the less savory aspects of first world explorers searching for artifacts in the third world.
The book begins with the story of Bingham's childhood, and how the parents who raised him were adventurers themselves. However, they were missionaries and Bingham gradually moved away from religion as he became captivated by history and anthropology. His marriage to a woman from a wealthy family provided him with financial security for his family, freeing him to plan explorations, and his Yale experience gave him connections with wealthy families that would support his expeditions.
The "treasures" Bingham sought in Peru were not the type you see in the movies - gold, silver, ornate chalices. He was seeking relics from the lives of the Incas. He went to Peru as a privileged American, who hired help and allowed those hires to essentially force locals into working for the expedition. On one trip the expedition's carelessness for its lower level workers apparently led to the death of one - who was just a boy. Many of the locals were suspicious of Bingham and given their history of subjugation and removal of precious metals by the Spaniards their fears were rational.
Bingham's efforts yielded a collection of valuable relics and bones for Yale, and resulted in the people of Peru developing an appreciation for the history of their indigenous people. Some of the items discovered by Bingham remained in Peru, and the nation eventually developed Machu Picchu into an internationally known historic site drawing tourists and scholars. Bingham's work essentially gave Peru a record of its rich history and generated respect for the indigenous people who built Machu Picchu.
Heaney also provides the reader with the ugly side of this story. In addition to the fact that many of the workers on his expendition were in essence indentured servants who had been forced to walk away from their farms and families, Bingham's actions were sometimes brazenly dishonest. When the Peruvian government tried to limit the artifacts that would be taken out of the country by Bingham, he secretly purchased many from a private collector snuck them out of the country. In addition, he and Yale refused to return artifacts that the Peruvian government believed were only on loan.
The author's last chapter details the efforts the nation has made over the years to have these artifacts returned. This dispute is one of many going on around the world today - nations like Greece are seeking to have historic artifacts returned to them from some of the world's major museums. The issue is a difficult one - it can be argued that museums of international renown are ideal locations for some of these treasures to be available to scholars and tourists to see. However, holding these artifacts in the museums of the world's former plunderers and colonizers seems disrespectful. The author acknowledges these issues, but comes down firmly on the side of Peru in this case.
I look forward to reading more of Heaney's work - he avoids the common traps of idealizing or villifying important historical figures, which is an approach readers deserve.
