Hiram Bingham discovered Machu Picchu in 1911 while exploring Peru. He came across the ruins of the lost Inca city, high in the Andes Mountains, after being led there by local Quechua people. The site was overgrown and deteriorated but has been excavated over many years, revealing artifacts that provide insights into the culture that once inhabited the city. These artifacts are now housed in a museum in Cusco, Peru, where the public can view the remains of this important archaeological discovery.