Incas

Paper Summary:

The indigenous tribes of the past have fascinated us for decades and none so more than the Inca's of the Andes. This paper looks at two books written about the Incas, "Daily Life in the Inca Empire" by Michael Malpass and Clive Cusslers, "Inca Gold." The paper discusses how these two books represent the two conflicting perspectives that exist on the Inca tribe. While some writers present it as a common land where social life was progressive yet routine (Malpass), others (such as Cussler) choose to focus on the mythological lore to create a fascinating realm of magic, mystery and untold treasures.

From the Paper:

"Yet, while Malpass tries to be historically accurate at times he miscalculates and misanalyzes the evidence. There is no framework or context in which to lodge archaeological studies at the household level. Even when ethno history can develop images of ordinary practice, say labor organization, for example, it often cannot tell whether or how it was used by the local or imperial elite and in whose benefit. To cite an example, an assumption that is unwarranted in the Inca case in Malpass' book is that there were full-time specialists who took care of certain professional fields. The Incas organized the production of ceramics, textiles, wooden objects, sandals and other goods, settling the producers in communities both near and far from their territory of origin. In the case of Cuzco, the capital, food was produced on land near town and on nearby private estates, but even the kings themselves participated in planting. There is no evidence for full-time specialization, and the Incas seem to have deliberately avoided the creation of urban populations dependent on daily markets for their subsistence."

More papers on Incas:

• Essay # 50542 : "The Incas"
• Analytical Essay # 148470 : "The Civilization of the Incas"
• Term Paper # 121487 : "Spanish Conquest of Aztecs and Incas"

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