The Incas and Their Ancestors

The Archaeology of Peru

by Michael E. Moseley

Thames and Hudson, 1994, b/w plates, b/w illustrations, paperback, ISBN 0500277230

Near Fine Condition, mild edge-wear and shelf-wear

'In 1532, when Pizarro conquered Peru, the Inca realm was one of the largest empires on earth, graced by gold masterpieces, towns with great palaces and temples, and an impressive network of roads.  But this glittering culture only obscured the rich and diverse civilizations that had preceded it: Chavin, Moche, Nasca, Tiwanaku, Huari, and Chimu.  Michael Moseley's major new synthesis takes us from the first settlement over 10000 years ago to the Spanish conquers.  Drawing on the intensive research of the last two decades, he shows that Andean prehistory can be understood only in terms of adaptations to extraordinary environmental extremes, from the narrow coastal desert to the harsh highlands.  Copious illustrations display throughout the artistic sophistication and technological expertise of the ancient Peruvians, from portrait jars and magnificent textiles to exquisite metalwork and giant pyramids as ancient as those in Egypt.  

The Incas and their Ancestors is the most authoritative survey of the great South American civilizations now available, of equal fascination to student, scholar and traveller.'