Cradle of Gold: The Story of Hiram Bingham, a Real-Life Indiana Jones, and the Search for Machu Picchu [Hardcover]

Yale University and the government of Peru still disagree on whether the artifacts of Machu Picchu at the Peabody Museum are looted treasures, or archeological evidence legally exported. A lot of the romance of archeology has disappeared into the politics of ownership of the past, ownership of ancient sites by the (possible) distant ancestors of the people of those sites, ownership by current governments, or ownership within the science framework, or science aspect of the colonial framework. In his day though, Hiram Bingham was an imposing, and romantic, figure whose fictionalized versions include Indiana Jones. The road to Machu Picchu is still the Hiram Bingham highway and we owe a lot of the rediscovery of the Incan cities to his efforts in the early part of the 20th century.

The Cradle of Gold is a rapidly moving popular survey of Bingham and his explorations in South America, with enough earlier history included to make sense of the importance of the archeological sites. It's well-written and quite fair in its assessment of Bingham in his own time and place, as well as in light of the current controversies and demands for repatriation of artifacts. There's a real sense of excitement in the exploration narrative, finding the hiding spots, the retreat of the Incas from the Spanish invasion (or more bluntly, genocide).

The book would be of interest for those looking to understand the importance of Machu Picchu, those interested in early 20th century epic explorations, and those interested in the ultimate disposition of archeological artifacts.

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.

I read several books prior to visiting Macchu Pichu including by Hiram Bingham. I read Cradle of Gold after returning and wish it had been available before my trip. This gives an excellent picture of the true Hiram Bingham, what he accomplished and how he accomplished these goals. A terrific read allowing the reader who has been there to accurately visualize all that took place, and the person just interested in this amazing sight gets a wonderful description of it, it's "discovery" and a great explanation of it's probable purpose. M. Leiter

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