Overview

At the time of the Spanish conquest in 1532, the Inca civilization was one of the most advanced in the New World. One of their achievements was a marvelous system of roads that linked their empire together into a coherent whole. Because of these roads, the Inca were able to move supplies, messengers, and troops anywhere in their empire quickly and efficiently. In many ways, these roads helped to hold the Inca Empire together.

Background

Civilization in the Andes is nearly 3,000 years old, beginning with the Chav'n culture of the Peruvian highlands which flourished around 1000 B.C. The Chav'n passed into history, as did several subsequent civilizations over the next 2,000 years. Around A.D. 600, the Tiahuanacan civilization arose near the shores of Lake Titicaca, in what is now Bolivia.

The Tiahuanacans were masters of the political and religious control of...