The Detroit times., 1914-05-18
SEEK in PERU
FOR LIGHT ON
ORIGIN OF MAN
Expedition Headed by Prof.
Bingham Starts This Week
for Land of the Incas
ANCIENT RUINS THERE
A FASCINATING STUDY
Believed TO Contain a Large
& Number of Biological Speci-
mems New to Science

NEW YORK. May lS-With the de'
parture OF iopograpners Tor Peru tiis
week the second expedition 20 explore
further the ancient homes OF die IN
as under the auspices OF the Natloh-
al Geographic Society and Yale Lhl-
versity will be started, The lopo-
graphers expect to reach the held as
| soon as the dry season commences.
| They hope To complete the topograph-
icai work and have the maps ready
! for the use of the scientific members
of the party BY December.
The director OF the expedition Is
Prof Hiram Bingham, who al the
head OF the 1912 expedition uncor-
cred the ancient fortress city OF Mac
chu Pichu. said 10 be the most re
markable group OF buildings discoY-
cred in South America since the con
quest OF Peru nearly h6ur hundred
years ago. Two years viii be given
TO the work of the new expedition.
The object OF the expedition, ac-
cording TO Gilbert II. Grosvenor,
director and editor OF the National
Geographic Society. is to make geo
graphical reconnaissance OF portion
OF Southern Peru. including the Cor
dillera Vilcabamba. and some por-
tons OF the Apurimac and Urubamba
watersheds. This region is a part
OF the eastern edge OF the great An
dean plateau
The Cordillera Vilcabamba is a
chain OF dissected mountains. rising
5000 to 10000 feet above sea level,
1Neir bases are clothed with tropical
jungles. while the SUBMITS are man
tied with snow and glaciers. In the
main they are uneXplOred. one OF
the least accessible parts OF the
Andes, they have been occupied from
time to time by the ancient PEG
pies OF Peru. In this region are the
ruins OF Macchu Pichu, Palcay and
Choqquequirau. The reported pres
ence OF other ruins and the existence
of some that actually have been seen,
but not studied or mapped. make the
region a particularly attractive area
in which TO study the problem OF
mans origin and distribution in South
America.
The character OF, the land forma-
ton in the neighborhood OF the ruins
should enable something TO be said In
regard to the number of people for
meFly occupying the region, the
causes of the location OF the cities,
buildings and forts, and the reasons
for their final abandonment, accord.
ing to Prof bingham.
AN examination OF the ruins,
studies OF the styles OF architecture
and OF the artifacts and other remains
that may be found fairly near the
urface OF the ground. should eventual
" enable a classification 10 be made,
which. in connection with biological,
photographic, linguistic and historic
al studies, ought TO result finally in
unravelling the puzzle OF the ancient
civilization OF South America says
Prof, Bingham. From the standpoint
OF biology, this area is believed TO con
tain a large number OF species new 10
science From the standpoint OF an
thropology, il is one of the least
known and most fruitful areas in the
Andes"
The plan OF the work will include
the making OF a Typographical map
of the region northwest OF Cuzco be-
tween the Apurimac and Uribamba
rivers: detailed geographical recon
naissance of the more lofty portions
OF the mountains, including a study
OF the large undescribed glaciated re-
gion; the establishment of two me-
neurological stations at different ele-
vations Tor the taking of systematic
records for two years study OF the
substitution and history OF food plants
of the region. the collection OF data
respecting the forms OF distribution
of vertebrates. particularly mammals
and reptiles; survey OF the present
Indians inhabiting the region includ-
ing a study of the dialects, the collec-
ton or anthropometric data and the
collection and study OF the skeletal
remains; archaeological reconnais-
Nuisance OF the entire area, and con
tinuation OF the studies begun BY the
first expedition. looking toward geo
graphical Interpretation OF the Span.
ish chronicles OF the era of discovery
and exploration, with particular refer
ence to the identification OF ancient
place names and the story of Macche
Pichu and its connection with the his
tory of the meas
Director Bingham is regarded as
one OF the foremost South American
explorers OF the day. lie has made
four expeditions TO that continent. his
first I'm 1906 being for the purpose OF
exploring BolivarS route across Nene-
zuela and Colombia. Two years later
he explored the Spanish trade route
from Buenos Ayres 10 Lima.