The Inca Empire's immense territory spanned more than 2,000 miles -- from Ecuador to Chile -- at the time of the Spanish invasion, yet Inca culture remains largely a mystery. The Incas did not leave pictorial codices and documents in their native language as the Maya and Aztec did and they narrated to Spanish chroniclers just a few of the multiple alternative histories maintained by descendants of various rulers.

In this classic work, Nigel Davies offers a clear view into Inca political history, economy, governance, religion, art, architecture, and daily life. The Incas has become a classic in its ten years in print; readers and scholars interested in ancient American cultures will relish this new paperback edition.