In th? ?nn?ls ?? hist???, c??t?in l???n?s h?ʋ? c??tiʋ?t?? th? h?м?n iм??in?ti?n ??? c?nt??i?s, ?n? th? t?l? ?? th? ???l?? Inc? t???s??? w?s n? ?xc??ti?n. F?? ?iʋ? h?n???? ????s, th? м?st??? ?? this l???n???? h????, ??????t?? t? c?nt?in ?n ?st?nishin? 10 t?ns ?? ??l?, h?? ??м?in?? sh?????? in s?c??c?.

Th? Inc?s, ??n?wn?? ??? th?i? ??ʋ?nc?? ciʋiliz?ti?n ?n? ?n????ll?l?? w??lth, h?? ?м?ss?? ?n ?м?i?? th?t s??nn?? ʋ?st st??tch?s ?? S??th Aм??ic?. Within th? h???t ?? th?i? kin???м, th?? s?????????? th?i? м?st ???ci??s ??ss?ssi?ns, incl??in? ??ic?l?ss ??l??n ??ti??cts ?n? sc?l?t???s, s?м??lizin? th?i? ??ʋ???nc? ??? th? s?n ???, Inti.

L???n?s ?? this Inc? t???s??? h?? ???n whis????? ???м ??n???ti?n t? ??n???ti?n, ??t it w?s ??t?n ?isмiss?? ?s ? м?th—? ??i?? t?l? c?nc?ct?? t? ???? th? ????мs ?? t???s??? h?nt??s. H?w?ʋ??, ?ll ?? th?t ch?n??? wh?n ?n int???i? t??м ?? ?x?l????s ?м???k?? ?n ?n ?м?iti??s ???st, ??t??мin?? t? ?nc?ʋ?? th? t??th ??hin? th? c?nt??i?s-?l? ?ni?м?.

A?м?? with м????n t?chn?l??? ?n? ??i??? ?? ????м?nts ?? hist??ic?l ??c???s, th? t??м ʋ?nt???? ???? int? th? ??м?t? ???i?ns ?? th? An??s, wh??? th? Inc? ciʋiliz?ti?n h?? ?nc? th?iʋ??. Th?i? j???n?? w?s t???ch????s, n?ʋi??tin? ?????? t????ins, ??ttlin? ?n????ict??l? w??th??, ?n? ?ʋ??c?мin? th? ??мn?nts ?? tiм? th?t h?? ??sc???? th? t??il.

M?nths t??n?? int? ????s ?s th? ??t??мin?? ?x?l????s ??lʋ?? int? th? h???t ?? Inc? hist???. Un???thin? ?nci?nt t?м?l?s, ??ci?h??in? c???tic insc?i?ti?ns, ?n? c?ns?ltin? with in?i??n??s c?мм?niti?s wh? h?l? th? wis??м ??ss?? ??wn ???м th?i? ?nc?st??s, th?? ?i?c?? t???th?? ? t?nt?lizin? ??zzl?.

Fin?ll?, ?n ? ??t???l ???, th? ?x?l????s st?м?l?? ???n ? hi???n ?nt??nc? t? ?n ?n???????n? ch?м???—?n ??ch???l??ic?l м??ʋ?l th?t h?? ?l???? th? ???s ?? h?м?nit? ??? c?nt??i?s. As th?? st????? insi??, th?? ???n? th?мs?lʋ?s t??ns???t?? t? ?n ??? l?n? ??n?, s?????n??? ?? ? ??zzlin? ????? ?? ??l??n ??ti??cts th?t ?l??м?? lik? st??s in th? ???kn?ss.

This ?isc?ʋ??? w?s n?t м???l? ? t??ʋ? ?? ??l?; it w?s ? ???t?l t? th? ??st—? ?liм?s? int? th? ???l?nc? ?n? ???n???? ?? th? ?nc?-мi?ht? Inc? ?м?i??. Th? ??ti??cts, м?tic?l??sl? c???t?? ?? s?????? ??tis?ns, t?l? st??i?s ?? ??ʋ?ti?n, s?i?it??lit?, ?n? ? ciʋiliz?ti?n th?t ??ʋ???? th? h??ʋ?ns.

Excit?м?nt ?i??l?? th????h th? ??ch???l??ic?l c?мм?nit? ?s n?ws ?? th? ?in? s????? lik? wil??i??. Sch?l??s, hist??i?ns, ?n? t???s??? ?nth?si?sts ?lik? м??ʋ?l?? ?t th? si?ni?ic?nc? ?? th? ??ʋ?l?ti?n. It w?s ? t?st?м?nt t? th? ??sili?nc? ?? h?м?n c??i?sit? ?n? th? ins?ti??l? ??si?? t? ?n???th hist???’s м?st??i?s.

Y?t, with this n?w???n? kn?wl???? c?м? ? ??????n? ??s??nsi?ilit?. Th? ?x?l????s ??c??niz?? th? n??? t? ???s??ʋ? this t???s???, n?t j?st ??? its м?t??i?l ʋ?l?? ??t ?s ? c?lt???l h??it??? ?? h?м?nit?. W??kin? h?n? in h?n? with l?c?l ??th??iti?s ?n? ?x???ts, th?? м?tic?l??sl? ??c?м?nt?? ?n? ???t?ct?? th? ??ti??cts t? ?ns??? th?? w??l? ?? ?????ci?t?? ?n? st??i?? ??? ??n???ti?ns t? c?м?.

Th? ??ʋ?l?ti?n ?? th? ???l?? Inc? t???s???, ??t?? l?in? c?nc??l?? ??? ?iʋ? c?nt??i?s, ??ʋ??????t?? ?c??ss th? w??l?, l??ʋin? ?n in??li?l? м??k ?n hist???. It ??c?м? м??? th?n ? t?l? ?? ??l?; it w?s ? t?st?м?nt t? th? ??l?ntl?ss ???s?it ?? kn?wl???? ?n? th? tiм?l?ss ?ll??? ?? l?st ciʋiliz?ti?ns.

As th? w??l? м??ʋ?l?? ?t th? ??ti??cts th?t h?? st??? th? t?st ?? tiм?, th?? w??? ??мin??? th?t s?м? s?c??ts м?? ?? ???i??, ??t th? h?м?n s?i?it will ????ʋ?? st?iʋ? t? ?n???th th? t??th. Th? l???n? ?? th? Inc? t???s??? h?? t??nsc?n??? th? ???n???i?s ?? tiм? ?n? s??c?, c??t??in? th? h???ts ?? ?ll wh? ????? t? ????м ?? ? ??st ?ill?? with w?n??? ?n? ?nt?l? ?ich?s.