Andean Civilizations

Stretching from present-day Ecuador to Chile and consisting of desert coasts, fertile valleys, soaring Andes, and tropical jungle, the Inca Empire was the largest state the Precolumbian Americas had ever seen. Although they claimed to have ‘civilized’ the Andes, the Inka were only the latest in a sequence of complex societies, all of which ultimately fell to the Spanish in the mid-1500s. In this course we will explore the growth and development of social complexity in the region, from the first human occupation of South America to the era of European contact. (formerly SOAN 0223) 3 hrs. lect.