<P> Although local institutions initially welcomed the exploration, they soon accused Bingham of legal and cultural malpractice . Rumors arose that the team was stealing artifacts and smuggling them out of Peru through Bolivia . (In fact, Bingham removed many artifacts, but openly and legally; they were deposited in the Yale University Museum . Bingham was abiding by the 1852 Civil Code of Peru; the code stated that "archaeological finds generally belonged to the discoverer, except when they had been discovered on private land ." (Batievsky 100)) Local press perpetuated the accusations, claiming that the excavation harmed the site and deprived local archaeologists of knowledge about their own history . Landowners began to demand rent from the excavators . By the time Bingham and his team left Machu Picchu, locals had formed coalitions to defend their ownership of Machu Picchu and its cultural remains, while Bingham claimed the artifacts ought to be studied by experts in American institutions . </P> <P> Little information describes human sacrifices at Machu Picchu, though many sacrifices were never given a proper burial, and their skeletal remains succumbed to the elements . However, there is evidence that retainers were sacrificed to accompany a deceased noble in the afterlife . Animal, liquid and dirt sacrifices to the gods were much more common, made at the Altar of the Condor . The tradition is upheld by members of the New Age Andean religion . </P> <P> Machu Picchu lies in the southern hemisphere, 13.164 degrees south of the equator . It is 80 kilometres (50 miles) northwest of Cusco, on the crest of the mountain Machu Picchu, located about 2,430 metres (7,970 feet) above mean sea level, over 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) lower than Cusco, which has an elevation of 3,600 metres (11,800 ft). As such, it had a milder climate than the Inca capital . It is one of the most important archaeological sites in South America, one of the most visited tourist attractions in Latin America and the most visited in Peru . </P> <P> Machu Picchu has wet and dry seasons, with the majority of annual rain falling from October through to April . </P>

Who discovered the ancient city of machu piccu