Yale returns more Machu Picchu artefacts to Peru
A shipment of 170 remains and artefacts have been returned to Peru by Yale University after 100 years in the US
US university Yale has returned another batch of ancient artefacts from Machu Picchu to Peru, giving those on tours of South America a chance to see the fascinating treasures in their original environment.
Around 170 human remains and artefacts originally from the 15th-century Inca site were shipped to Peru's capital Lima on Tuesday (December 13th) and will be returned to Machu Picchu itself on Thursday, around a hundred years since they were first taken.
It is the second instalment of items to be given back to Peru by Yale after the university signed a deal in February this year to return around 5,000 Inca artefacts, following a long and hard-fought legal battle over their ownership.
The relics were originally taken from Machu Picchu by American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1912.
They will be taken to Machu Picchu's Casa Concha Museum, reported Peru this Week - translating reports from peru21.pe.
Cayo Garcia Miranda, a member of the International Centre for the Study of Machu Picchu and Inca Culture, commented: "It is essential to have these objects, which show much of our history. Also, DNA testing can show the genetic, pathological and anatomical characteristics of ancient Peruvians."
Situated on a mountain ridge high above the Urubamba Valley, no visit to Peru could be complete without a Machu Picchu tour.
With giant walls, terraces and ramps, the site is regarded as perhaps the most awe-inspiring urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height, while the spectacular views and unspoilt natural surroundings from its location on the eastern slopes of the Andes makes Machu Picchu one of the highlights of a trip to South America.
A stop at the recently opened International Centre for the Study of Machu Picchu and Inca Culture in nearby Cusco may also be worthwhile for those wanting to learn more about the Incas.
The centre was opened in October this year in collaboration with Yale University and includes an exhibit devoted to the archaeological site of Machu Picchu.
