Juan Arias Díaz, also known as Juan Arias Diaz Topete, was a Spanish explorer and mineral prospector. He is credited with being the first European to visit the Incan city of Choquequirao, which he visited in 1710.[1] However, it has been proposed that Spanish conquistadors arrived first during their war against Manco Inca.[2] He allegedly found the city when he was resting his mules after a prospecting trek. He described it as "an ancient town of heathen times" known to the natives as "The Cradle of Gold". He led three expeditions to the town, finding a total of four sites, the three others of which have not been identified.[3] His records of Choquequirao inspired American explorer Hiram Bingham III to search for the city.[4]
References
edit- ^ Todras-Whitehill, Ethan. "The Other Machu Picchu". New York Times. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ "The Choquequirao Trek". Peru Hop. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- ^ "INKA TREK TO CHOQUEQUIRAO". Aracari Travel. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ Bingham, Hiram. "Lost City of the Incas pg. 112". Internet Archive. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
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