Machu Picchu's Abandonment: Why the Inca Left Their Citadel

The Inca Discovery That Rewrote History: Bingham and the Lost City

In 1911, Hiram Bingham III walked into the Andes and stumbled upon Machu Picchu—or did he? This episode peels back the legend of the 'lost city's discovery' to reveal a far more complicated story. Bingham was actually hunting for Vilcabamba, the final Inca refuge, and he wasn't the first outsider to see Machu Picchu. We follow Bingham's expedition from Cusco along the Urubamba River, his encounter with local farmer Melchor Arteaga, and the overlooked presence of other explorers like Charles Wiener and Agustín Lizárraga, who had inscribed his name on the Temple of the Sun years before Bingham's 'discovery.' The conversation unpacks the role of Yale University, the Peruvian government, and the ongoing repatriation of thousands of artifacts. We also consider Machu Picchu's own name—likely not its original—and the Quechua word 'Picchu' meaning 'mountain peak.' A nuanced look at how a modern myth was built on an ancient city that was never truly lost. #HiramBingham #MachuPicchu #LostCity #Inca #Archaeology #YaleUniversity #Vilcabamba #Cusco #UrubambaRiver #MelchorArteaga #AgustínLizárraga #CharlesWiener #Quechua #Andes #History #FexingoHistory #Exploration #Repatriation Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Inca's Failed Rebellion: Manco Inca's War at Sacsayhuamán

In 1536, a year after the Spanish seized Cusco, the puppet emperor Manco Inca escaped and launched the largest Indigenous uprising against European colonizers in the Americas. This episode focuses on the siege of Cusco and the climactic battle at Sacsayhuamán, the massive fortress overlooking the Inca capital. We explore Manco's strategy, the desperate Spanish defense led by Hernando Pizarro, the role of Cañari and Chachapoya auxiliaries, and how the Inca nearly succeeded before a desperate night assault turned the tide. We also look at the aftermath—Manco's retreat to Vilcabamba and the birth of a neo-Inca state that would resist for another 36 years. Names you'll hear: Manco Inca, Hernando Pizarro, Juan Pizarro (killed in the battle), Quizo Yupanqui, and the fortress of Sacsayhuamán itself, with its zigzag walls and massive stonework. #MancoInca #Sacsayhuamán #SiegeOfCusco #IncaRebellion #HernandoPizarro #QuizoYupanqui #Vilcabamba #Cañari #Chachapoya #Tawantinsuyu #SpanishConquest #Andes #Peru #1536 #Inca #ColonialHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Machu Picchu's Acllawasi: The Women of the Sun

In this episode of Machu Picchu: The Lost City of the Inca Explained, Lucas and Luna turn their attention to a rarely discussed but crucial aspect of the Inca world: the acllawasi, or 'House of the Chosen Women.' These young women, selected from across Tawantinsuyu, were taken to live in cloistered compounds where they learned weaving, brewing chicha, and performing rituals dedicated to Inti, the sun god. Lucas explains how the aclla were not simply servants but held distinct ranks—from the mamacuna who taught them to the yurac aclla destined for marriage to nobles or sacrifice. The conversation explores the acllawasi within Machu Picchu itself, the daily lives of the women, and the Spanish chroniclers like Pedro Cieza de León and Juan de Betanzos who documented them. Lucas also addresses the controversy: were the aclla venerated or exploited? This episode offers a nuanced look at gender, religion, and empire in the Andes, tying together threads from previous episodes on capacocha, weaving, and the ceque system. #Acllawasi #Aclla #Mamacuna #Inti #Tawantinsuyu #MachuPicchu #IncaWomen #ChosenWomen #Cumbi #Chicha #Capacocha #PedroCiezaDeLeon #JuanDeBetanzos #Andes #IncaEmpire #Weaving #SunWorship #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Pizza Before Columbus: What Italians Ate Before the Tomato

Before the tomato crossed the Atlantic in the 16th century, Italian kitchens relied on a different set of flavors. This episode explores what the Mediterranean diet looked like before the Columbian Exchange — from ancient Roman garum to medieval Sicilian pasta with sugar and cinnamon. We trace the journey of the tomato from its domestication in Mesoamerica to its slow adoption in Naples, where poverty and creativity finally turned it into a culinary icon. Along the way, we meet the Sapa Inca's taste for tomatoes, Spanish skepticism, and the 18th-century cookbook that changed everything. A story of empire, hunger, and the accidental birth of modern Italian cuisine. #Tomato #ColumbianExchange #ItalianCuisine #PizzaHistory #NeapolitanPizza #Mesoamerica #Pomodoro #HistoryOfFood #CulinaryHistory #FexingoHistory #Andes #Tawantinsuyu #Inca #Garum #MedievalItaly #Naples #FoodHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Inca Food and Feast: The Cuisine of Tawantinsuyu

What did the Inca actually eat? From freeze-dried potatoes and llama jerky to maize beer and guinea pig, this episode explores the remarkable food system that sustained the largest empire in the pre-Columbian Americas. We look at the terraced fields of Moray, the storage complexes called colca, the role of chicha in ritual, and the staple crops like quinoa, oca, and chuño. Lucas and Luna discuss how the Inca fed an army, managed famine through state warehouses, and turned eating into a sacred act tied to Pachamama and Inti. Along the way, they touch on the surprising legacy of Inca crops in modern cuisine — from the potato's global takeover to the resurgence of quinoa. No conquistadors, no gold — just the daily bread (or rather, the daily maize) of Tawantinsuyu. #Inca #Tawantinsuyu #IncaFood #Chicha #Quinoa #Chuño #Pachamama #Inti #Moray #Colca #Cusco #Andes #FoodHistory #AncientAgriculture #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast #IncaEmpire Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]