The Incas of South America thrived before being destroyed by smallpox.
Just like with many of the ancient civilizations, the mighty Inca of Machu Pichu were wiped out by the diseases brought by the European conquistadors. Even before Pizarro, the disease smallpox found its way to the population, dessimating them quickly. By the time Pizarro arrived, Machu Pichu was already a lost city.
The city was more likely a type of residence for nobles, but it was composed of around two hundred buildings that were homes, temples and other structures. Since 1911, when it was rediscovered by a Yale archaeologist, it quickly became a tourist attraction. Its extreme altitude and location, about 8,000 feet in the Andes, has helped to keep it from getting destroyed in modern times.
