Casa Concha Museum

Hiram Bingham removed thousands of objects from Machu Picchu between 1912 and 1915 under permits that Peru later argued required their return; Yale kept them for most of a century, Peru sued in 2008, and an agreement in 2010 and 2011 brought the collection back. It is displayed here, in a colonial mansion belonging to the San Antonio Abad university - ceramics, metal, stone tools, and the human remains and grave goods from the burials Bingham excavated, together with material on how the site was used and what the bone evidence says about the people who lived there. The presentation is unusually good for Cusco, with clear explanation of the excavation and of the dispute itself. It is also a corrective: the objects are ordinary domestic and burial material, not treasure, which is a truer picture of Machu Picchu than the gold-and-mystery version.

What you actually see

• The returned collection - the material Bingham removed, back from Yale since 2011.
• The burial goods - ceramics and offerings from the graves he excavated.
• The bone evidence - what the human remains show about who lived at the site.
• The dispute - the legal history of the return, explained on site.

When to go

April to October. One to two hours. Quieter than the main Cusco museums; mornings are best. Check current opening days.

Honest expectations

The objects are domestic and modest - visitors expecting treasure will be disappointed, which is rather the point. Human remains are displayed, which some find uncomfortable. Signage is fuller in Spanish than English.

Nearby

The Plaza de Armas is a short walk; Qorikancha is south.