We chart the events that shaped the civilisation – from its victories over other Andean cultures to its ultimate downfall at the hands of Spanish conquistadors
WORDS: DANNY BIRD
YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE INCA EMPIRE
C13,000 BC
Paleolithic hunter-gatherers migrate over the Bering Land Bridge from eastern Eurasia into North America. The people and their descendants move across the continent, before advancing into Central and South America, where they form new settlements.
C2500 BC
Nomadic peoples living along the northwestern seaboard of South America begin cultivating potato, corn (maize), cotton and other crops, leading to the emergence of the first agrarian communities and sophisticated Andean cultures.
C900–200 BC
▲ Chavín de Huántar (in modern-day Peru) becomes a major cult centre and pilgrimage site for the Andean region.
C200–650 AD
▼ The Nazca culture flourishes along the southern coast of what is now Peru, creating huge geoglyphs known today as the Nazca Lines (pictured). Further north, a people known as the Moche also emerge as a distinct culture.
C600–1000
The ascendant Wari state comes to preside over a vast part of the Andes – from the southern highlands to the northern coast. The artistry of the Wari people, as well as their road networks, influence other cultures in the region, leaving a lasting legacy.
C650–800
◀ Moche craftsmanship, as demonstrated in the ornate piece shown left, reaches
its zenith. Along with the Nazca, extreme weather events and environmental pressures force them to abandon their settlements and relocate to the highlands. The Wari fill the geopolitical vacuum.
C900–1200
▼ The Chimú empire flourishes, building the largest pre-Columbian city in the Americas at Chan Chan (near modern-day Trujillo, Peru).
C1200
According to legend, Manco Cápac, the first Sapa Inca (ruler), leads a small highland tribe into the Cuzco Valley, where they found their capital, Cuzco. This nascent Inca culture builds upon the achievements of its Andean forebears.
c1527–1532
▼ Civil war breaks out between the brothers, and Atahualpa emerges victorious. Although weakened, the Inca empire also reaches its greatest extent around this period.
c1527
▼ Huayna Cápac and his most likely heir succumb to fever – probably smallpox introduced by the arrival of Europeans in the Americas. It kills millions across South America and leaves two of Huayna Cápac’s sons, Huáscar and Atahualpa (pictured, left to right), to compete for the leadership.
1471–1493
▲ The Inca empire doubles in size during the reign of Sapa Inca Túpac Yupanqui, Pachacuti’s s
