A day in the Peruvian life of Machu Pichu: Advance of intercultural history

This article examines the incorporation of Machu Picchu into twentieth-century Peruvian history, through the study of international travel literature. The intercultural analysis of published, unpublished and oral sources since Hiram Bingham's arrival at this archaeological site on 24 th July 1911 offers a way of approaching the comprehension of this Inca city. Bingham's notion of «scientific discovery», which he introduced in order to perpetuate the value of his explorations in the Central Andes, can be used in new ways for future interpretations. The lives and works of Peruvian historians Luis E. Valcárcel and Franklin Pease serve as reference points for the recreation of the intellectual and political context in which the historical process of «Peruvianization» of Machu Picchu is taking place.