Machu Picchu: Unveiling the Mystery of the Incas [Hardcover]

Richard L. Burger (Editor), Lucy C. Salazar (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2004

Situated high in the Peruvian Andes, the 15th-century Inca palace complex at Machu Picchu is one of the most spectacular archaeological sites in the world. In this illustrated volume, leading American and Peruvian scholars provide an overview of the site, its place within the Inca empire, the mysteries surrounding its establishment and abandonment, and the discoveries made there since the excavations by archaeologist Hiram Bingham III in the early-20th century. Drawing upon scientific findings, the authors describe the royal estate in the cloud forest where the Inca emperor and his guests went to escape the pressures of the capital. In addition to Bingham's account of his first expedition in 1911, the book includes both modern and archival photographs of the site as well as colour illustrations and explanations of some 120 gold, silver, ceramic, bone and textile works recovered at Machu Picchu.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Tied to a Yale-sponsored exhibition of Incan artifacts now traveling to several museums in America, this illustrated volume sheds new light on Machu Picchu, the mysterious Peruvian ruins that were rediscovered by the Yale Expedition of 1911. No "lost city" of myth, Machu Picchu was actually a "kind of Inca ‘Camp David’"—a royal country estate that was probably occupied by an Incan king briefly during the 15th century. In addition to reprinting Hiram Bingham’s original 1913 account of the Expedition’s journey, Burger and Salazar’s volume presents several chapters in which modern archeologists describe the astounding scientific advances, the religious rituals and the daily life of Incas at Machu Picchu. (The book also includes a catalogue of the artifacts shown in the traveling exhibition.) Particularly fascinating is Susan Niles’s overview of the many practices that Incan royal families used to conserve their status and resources, including the worship of mummified ancestors and the intermarriage of brothers and sisters. A final chapter by Jorge Flores Ochoa discusses modern-day issues in Peru—such as the successful attempt to make Machu Picchu a center for mystic tourism—and argues that President Fujimori’s plan to build a cable car to the ruins "was designed to satisfy the interests of business managers" while ignoring the interests of the local population. Although the writing in this volume can be dense with scientific terms, most of it is also quite engrossing, and readers who are interested in Machu Picchu will be enchanted by the book’s many lovely photographs.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Yale anthropology professor Burger and Salazar, curator of the Machu Picchu collection at Yale's Peabody Museum, present not only an outstanding catalog, but also a welcome, in-depth resource for anyone interested in pre-Columbian archaeology and the anthropology of sacred sites. The fifteenth-century Inca palace complex in the Peruvian Andes is one of the world's most splendid and culturally important archaeological sites, explored by archaeologist Hiram Bingham III, whose accounts, photographs, and illustrations detail the significance of his 1911 discovery of wonders long shrouded in dense vegetation. Still shrouded in mystery are explanations of the site's construction and abandonment. This amply illustrated volume includes essays reflecting a broad understanding of the Bingham collection that has emerged only in the last 20 years, including Susan Niles' overview of Inca royal estates (Machu Picchu is considered a palatial country estate) and Burger's piece on everyday lives in this center of elite activity and ritual. Whitney Scott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300097638
• ISBN-13: 978-0300097634
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #714,980 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Impressive academic achievement, flawed in some conclusions, February 20, 2005

By 

Rabbit (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Machu Picchu: Unveiling the Mystery of the Incas (Hardcover)

This book is a companion volume to the largest exhibition of Inca artifacts in the US. A complete overhaul of previous scientific investigations was done using the most modern equipment and techniques of contemporary archaeology. Although it builds on the work of Hiram Bingham, some of Bingham's conclusions were wrong, and are corrected here. The quality of the book itself, which includes many color photographs including a catalogue of all the pieces in the exhibit, is first-rate. Those new to Machu Picchu and the Inca, or those with an in-depth knowledge of the subject will find something of value in this book. I found the chapter on the contemporary significance of Machu Picchu to be particularly interesting.

However, the authors describe Machu Picchu as a 'summer palace', likening it to Camp David. Anyone who has been there and/or seriously investigated the spiritual practices of the Inca and the the wide-ranging impact of those practices (even to the present day), will understand that this was a place of the highest spirituality, not a place of recreation for the royalty.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic catalogue, average main text, September 7, 2008

By 

Dave Essery (Upper Hutt, Wellington New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Machu Picchu: Unveiling the Mystery of the Incas (Paperback)

This book is a must for anyone specifically interested in the detail of Incan culture, but perhaps is not for those wanting a more general guide to Machu Picchu itself.

I found the main text of interest from an academic point of view but not especially earth shattering. The photographs of the site were fairly average, though those reproduced from Binghams early investigations were of interest from an historical point of view to see how much restoration had taken place - in many cases suprisingly little.

It is certainly not a guide book to the site.

Those wanting a well illustrated guide book to Machu Picchu would be better directed buying 'The Machu Picchu Guidebook: A Self-Guided Tour by Ruth M. Wright, Alfredo Valencia Zegarra, and Alfredo Valencia Zegarra' or reading the appropriate chapter in John Hemmings 'Monuments of the Inca'.

Where this volume really does come into its own in my opinion is in its catalogue. This is largely of artifacts collected by the Bingham expeditions to Machu Picchu, supplemented by other pieces from other sites. The photography is excellent, as are the descriptions. Together they provide the reader with a rich appreciation of Incan world, especially that at Machu Picchu. It is very rare to find such a focused study of Incan material so this volume is a very valuable and unusual addition, to anyone seriously interested in the Inca for that reason alone it is a 'must-buy'.

Regards, Dave Essery www.ancientdave.com

25 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Definitely Underwhelmed, November 16, 2005

By 

Tome Raider (California, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Machu Picchu: Unveiling the Mystery of the Incas (Hardcover)

Having recently visited Machu Picchu via the Inca Trail I wanted to obtain a first-rate "coffee-table" style book to commemorate my experience and to render handy various names for various sights I saw along the way. When in Peru I saw several marvelous, fat volumes which contained all the information, photgraphs and poetic insight about the awesome Inca people and their accomplishments that I would ever desire. I figured I could score one off of Amazon once I returned home.

Alas, I saw none of those titles listed as currently available. This book appeared to be the best available, but it falls way short of those that I had seen in Peruvian bookstores. Slender, with only a handful of small color photos, and several older, blurry photos taken by or of Bingham (all of which I've seen countless times before), this book was really close to being sent right back to Amazon. However, there is a section in the back which contains some nice photos of various Inca artifacts which (coupled with the hassle of sending stuff back) inspired me to keep the book. I learned the sharp, bronze item I bought in Cusco is called a "knife." (I'd been incorrectly calling it a "ceremonial knife-like thing with which I think they sacrificed alpacas.")

Anyway, don't be too impressed by the publisher, "Yale Press." The name perhaps sounds compelling, but scrounge around at your local used bookstore and I'm sure you can do way better for your library.