<P> At Mandor Pampa, Bingham asked farmer and innkeeper Melchor Arteaga if he knew of any nearby ruins . Arteaga said he knew of excellent ruins on the top of Huayna Picchu . The next day, 24 July, Arteaga led Bingham and Sergeant Carrasco across the river on a log bridge and up the Huayna Picchu mountain . At the top of the mountain, they came across a small hut occupied by a couple of Quechua, Richarte and Alvarez, who were farming some of the original Machu Picchu agricultural terraces that they had cleared four years earlier . Alvarez's 11 - year - old son, Pablito, led Bingham along the ridge to the main ruins . </P> <P> The ruins were mostly covered with vegetation except for the cleared agricultural terraces and clearings used by the farmers as vegetable gardens . Because of the vegetation, Bingham was not able to observe the full extent of the site . He took preliminary notes, measurements, and photographs, noting the fine quality of Inca stonework of several principal buildings . Bingham was unclear about the original purpose of the ruins, but decided that there was no indication that it matched the description of Vitcos . </P> <P> The expedition continued down the Urubamba and up the Vilcabamba Rivers examining all the ruins they could find . Guided by locals Bingham rediscovered and correctly identified the site of the old Inca capital, Vitcos (then called Rosaspata), and the nearby temple of Chuquipalta . He then crossed a pass and into the Pampaconas Valley where he found more ruins heavily buried in the jungle undergrowth at Espíritu Pampa, which he named "Eromboni Pampa". As was the case with Machu Picchu, the site was so heavily overgrown that Bingham could only note a few of the buildings . In 1964, Gene Savoy further explored the ruins at Espiritu Pampa and revealed the full extent of the site, identifying it as Vilcabamba Viejo where the Incas fled after the Spanish drove them from Vitcos . </P> <P> Bingham returned to Machu Picchu in 1912 under the sponsorship of Yale University and National Geographic again and with the full support of Peruvian President Leguia . The expedition undertook a four - month clearing of the site with local labor, which was expedited with the support of the Prefect of Cuzco . Excavation started in 1912 with further excavation undertaken in 1914 and 1915 . Bingham focused on Machu Picchu because of its fine Inca stonework and well - preserved nature, which had lain undisturbed since the site was abandoned . None of Bingham's several hypotheses explaining the site held up . During his studies, he carried various artifacts back to Yale . One prominent artifact was a set of 15th - century, ceremonial Incan knives made from bismuth bronze; they are the earliest known artifact containing this alloy . </P>

Who was the person who actually discovered macchu piccu and in what year was his discovery