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It's 1902 at the base of Wina Pichu, a mountain in South Peru.

Smoke fills Agustin Liza Raga's eyes, is vision blurring as tears streak down his cheeks.

Agustin is a local farmer who has just set fire to the foothills of the Andes, hoping to clear a path to fertile ground.

As the last embers die out, Agustin carefully treads over the sooty ground, the scorched shrubbery crunching under his heavy footsteps.

He climbs higher and higher up the peak, surveying the uncharted terrain stretching before him, and then catching sight of something that stops him in his tracks.

Up ahead, barely visible behind thick foliage, is a flight of roughly tuned stone steps disappearing around the side of the mountain.

Wheeling a small knife, Agustin crouches low to slash through the tangled mesh of undergrowth, clearing a path toward the mysterious staircase.

He rushes forward and eagerly clamors up the steps, and by the time he reaches the last landing, Agustin is exhausted.

He can barely catch his breath before it escapes him all over again.

All struck, Agustin looks out at the unbelievable scene before him, gasping in wonder at the terraced fields cutting across the adjacent mountain face, each one bound by rows of tightly packed stones, evidence of some ancient society.

Agustin will be delighted by his discovery.

He will return to the site several times, eventually realizing that the terraced fields are part of an abandoned ancient citadel.

As Agustin explores the well-preserved ruins, he will uncover a network of temples, homes, courtyards, plazas and tombs.

It will later be discovered that this ancient city, which many historians believe to be named Machu Picchu, is an important remnant of the Incan Empire, which dominated South America for centuries.

In time, the fame of Machu Picchu will spread far and wide, and will eventually become one of the seven wonders of the world.

But after Agustin's accidental discovery, the ruins of this ancient civilization will remain a secret to the rest of the world until American explorer Hiram Bingham III finds the lost city again on July 24, 1911.

Hi, I'm David Brown, the host of Wonderree's podcast, Business Wars.

And in our new season, two of the world's leading hotel brands, Hilton and Marriott, stare down family drama and financial disasters.

Listen to Business Wars on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts.

From Noiser in Airship, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is History Daily.

History is made every day. On this podcast, every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world.

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