Written by Terence N. D'Altroy
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 32 Kbps

In the land of Tawantinsuyu (The Four Parts Together) the Incas reigned in the late 15th century over the greatest empire ever seen in the independent Americas. Their territory included parts of the present-day countries of Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Yet we know little of these people, especially from firsthand written accounts. This course introduces the Incas, a small ethnic group from the southern Peruvian highlands, who forged a civilization rich in material and culture and expanded their domain to control large expanses of territory in a short period of time through diplomacy, enculturation, and military force.

A Powerful Story and a Potent Legacy. The story of the Incas is a powerful one, and their legacy remains a potent influence in the Andes of South America. In this insightful series, Columbia University professor Terence D'Altroy focuses on Inca life at the height of the empire, the society's origins, its military, religion, ruling structure, and finally, the Inca legacy today.

Terence N. D'Altroy is a professor of anthropology at Columbia University, director of the Columbia Center for Archaeology, and one of the world's leading Inca specialists. He is the author of The Incas, Provincial Power in the Inka Empire; coauthor, with Christine A. Hastorf, of Empire and Domestic Economy; and coeditor of Empires.

14 Lectures
30 minutes/lecture

1 Portrait of the Incas: An Introduction
2 The Land and Its People
3 The Origins of Inca Society
4 The Formation of Tawantinsuyu: The Inca Empire
5 Inca Militarism
6 Cuzco: The Navel of the Universe
7 The Royal Estates
8 At the Heart of Power
9 Powers of the Sky and Earth, Past and Present
10 Growing Up Inca
11 Provincial Rule
12 Building the Empire
13 Provisioning the State and the Sun
14 Invasion and Aftermath