The development of the Inca Empire was complex and often paradoxical. This lavishly illustrated volume, based on extensive archaeological research and Spanish colonial documentation, provides important insights into many questions and contradictions regarding the Inca Empire.The Inca World carefully examines the social, economic, political, and religious systems that characterized the Inca Empire from its earliest times. The book begins by examining the pre-Inca Late Intermediate Period (A.D. 1000-1450), including a geographic and cultural overview of historic Peru and Inca textiles, architecture, and ceramics. The second half covers the Inca Horizon (A.D. 1450-1543), the era of imperial expansion, explaining how Incas achieved social and cultural unity while allowing various ethnic groups to maintain their own identity. Despite its hegemony, the Inca Empire was less monolithic than has been thought and can be understood only by taking into account the ancient Peruvian cultures that preceded it.