Machu Picchu Talk & Tour

	Yale LA explores secrets of Machu Picchu at sneak preview of traveling Peabody Museum exhibit June 21, 2003 LOS ANGELES - The ancient Incans didn't use currency or the wheel, but they built an empire 14 million people strong that spanned a distance greater than Los Angeles to Seattle. A group of 25 Yalies and friends unraveled these secrets of the Incan empire and more at a sneak preview of the Natural History Museum's Machu Picchu exhibit June 21. Dr. Richard Burger, archaeologist and Director of the Peabody Museum, and his wife/curator Lucy Salazer-Burger, were in town for the exhibit's opening weekend in LA. After the exhibit debut at Yale's Peabody Museum, LA is the first stop on its national tour. We're honored that Dr. Burger graciously agreed to meet with the Yale Club of Southern California to share secrets about the Incas a day before the exhibit opened to the public. Dr. Burger gave some background on the Incan empire in an hour discussion and Q&A. Then, he and his wife Lucy gave the group a personal tour of the exhibit. The hi-tech exhibit features more than 400 Incan artifacts, casted replicas of Incan houses, clothing, and people; hi-definition video presentations, and interactive displays. Dr. Burger points out the Incans did use mortar between the bricks, but the edges are beveled. Lucy Salazar even pointed out a glass case containing explorer Hiram Bingham's personal journal which first documents the "finding" of Machu Picchu. American adventurer and explorer Hiram Bingham of Yale University "discovered" Machu Picchu during his Peruvian explorations in 1911. A few Yalies on the tour who had been to Machu Picchu in the past year and said that it was an incredible experience getting a virtual tour from the experts Richard Burger and Lucy Salazar. One commented he learned more on the LA tour than he did when he was there, mostly because his tour guides gave out wrong information. For example, his Machu Picchu tour guide told him the Incas didn't use mortar in their housing structures. But on the tour, Dr. Burger pointed out they did use a light layer of mortar, but beveled the edges of the bricks so no mortar shows. The exhibit runs at the National History Museum from June 22 to September 7, 2003. Following the Los Angeles presentation, the exhibit will travel to Pittsburgh, Denver, Houston, and Chicago, and then become a permanent exhibit at the Peabody Museum in New Haven. Thanks again to Richard Burger and Lucy Salazar for meeting with us, as well as the museum staff for coordinating!	Curator Lucy Salazar and husband Dr. Richard Burger organized the exhibit Dr. Richard Burger unveils secrets about Incan culture American adventurer and explorer Hiram Bingham of Yale University "discovered" Machu Picchu during his Peruvian explorations in 1911. The group enters the exhibit
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