Pacaritambo

THE ANCIENT AMERICAN CIVILIZATIONS (History of Civilization series)
by Friedrich Katz. B&W drawings. Cover photo: Mask representing the god Quezalcoatl, Aztec, c. 1500. Condition: NEW 2000 Phoenix Press Trade Paperback, first printing. Content: Originally published in Germany in 1969. Ever since Columbus set foot on American soil ("invaded" is the correct term), and convinced he had reached India, called the native populations Indians, the origins of the aboriginal inhabitants have been hotly debated. There are few empires about which such contradictory ideas persist as those of the Inca and the Aztecs. Katz Begins his study of the ancient American civilizations - spanning the vast period from the first peoples, thirty-five to fifty thousand years ago, to the Spanish Conquest of 1517 - with a discussion of the sources of our knowledge. He describes the inhabitants, their agriculture - and the cultural sphere of Mesoamerica. Tracing the development of the civilizations of pre-Columbian America from village communities to prosperous city states, this is a fascinating account of how these civilizations culminated in the magnificent empires of the Aztecs and Inca. [1 copy available]
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ART OF THE ANDES: From Chavin to Inca
by Rebecca Stone-Miller. Beautiful color photos of artifacts plus B&W photos & De Poma drawings. Condition: NEW 1996 Thames & Hudson Trade Paperback, first printing. Content: This wide-ranging survey has established itself as the best single-volume introduction to Andean art and architecture. Now fully revised, it describes the strikingly varied artistic achievements of the Chavín, Paracas, Moche, Chimú, and Inca cultures, among others. Their impressive cities, tall pyramids, shining goldwork, and intricate textiles constitute one of the greatest artistic traditions in history. For the second edition, Rebecca Stone-Miller has added new material covering the earliest mummification in the world at Chinchorros, wonderful new Moche murals and architectural reconstructions, the latest finds from the Chachapoyas culture, and a greater emphasis on shamanism. Throughout, Stone-Miller demonstrates how the Andean peoples adapted and refined their aesthetic response to an extremely inhospitable environment. 185 illustrations, 35 in color. . A complete resource! Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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THE CITIES OF THE ANCIENT ANDES
by Adriana Von Hagen and Craig Morris. 147 wonderful B&W and color photos illustrate. Condition: NEW 1998 Thames & Hudson hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), asssumed first edition. Content: Reviewer: "he authors provide a stimulating introduction to urbanism in the Precolumbian Andes. The only problem with this book was that it left me wanting more. Since the book covers the entire history of the Ancient Andes, it cannot devote much space to any specific city or civilization. Nevertheless, there is still more than enough to enthrall. At the start of each chapter on a civilization, there is always a short description of what life would have been like for some inhabitants of a city of that civilization. This provides some extra colour to the book though some technical readers might not appreciate it. My favourite portion was on Tiwanaku, the largest city of the altiplano around Lake Titicaca. The pictures and maps were excellent and greatly enhanced to the book." [This is one of the best books on the ancient Andes, IMHO.] [2 copies available]
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THE CONQUEST OF PERU (Mentor/Ancient Civilizations series) (Partly Abridged & Revised)
by Victor W. von Hagen. Wonderful B&W drawings illustrate. Condition: UNREAD c. 1961 Mentor paperback, "partly abridged & revised", second printing. Tiny edgewear Interior clean & tight. Content: The original edition was published in 1862. This editoin is touted as "partly abridged & revised" but no further details are given. Reviewer: "The conquest of the mighty Inca empire by a small contingent of Spanish adventurers, and their subsequent civil wars fought for control of the region, is a story so dramatic and improbable that it's hard to believe it actually happened. Prescott's artistic style, meticulous attention to detail, and brilliantly structured narrative bring out all the drama and excitement. Unlike many histories, this work has nothing about it that is tedious or dry -- particularly remarkable since Prescott never visited South America and developed his sweeping account exclusively from literary sources. The author's ability to reconstruct the attitudes and motivations of the key characters gives the reader a much deeper understanding of the events. Before reading the book, I knew next to nothing about the Incas or the settlement of the region. Upon finishing it, I felt as though I'd received a thorough (and most enjoyable) schooling." [1 copy available]
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EMPIRE OF THE INCA
by Burr Cartwright Brundage. Foreword by Arnold J. Toynbee. Wonderful B&W drawings illustrate. Condition: Used 1988 University of Oklahoma Press Trade paperback, second printing. Many pages have either notes or underlining. Content: One of the "must-read" books on the great Inca civilization - the people from a small pocket of the Peruvian sierra that became the architects of a sacred empire called Tahuantinsuyo, the "Four Quarters." Though the Incas were small in numbers, they succeeded in creating independently their own complex bureaucracy exceeding rich in religious ceremonials. The ruling despot, known as the Inca, had his official residence at Cuzco, from which the empire was extended into northern Ecuador and central Chile. This story of expansion and the Inca way of life is fascinating reading. Their history never loses its sense of the marvelous. [1 copy available]
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FROM VIRACOCHA TO THE VIRGIN OF COPACABANA: Representation of the Sacred at Lake Titicaca
by Veronica Salles-Reese. De Leon illustrations and B&W photos. Condition: Gently pre-read (to abouat page 12 & abandoned) 1997 Univ. of Texas Press Trade Paperback, first thus. One mark in margin on one page. Light shelf wear. Content: If you are interested in the Inca religion and mythology of South America, this is the book for you. As detailed as Urton, but much easier reading. Lake Titicaca has been a sacred place to the Andean people from prehistoric times to today. The author explores how Andean myths of cosmic and ethnic origins centered on Lake Titicaca evolved from pre-Inca times to the enthronement of the Virgin of Copacabana in 1583. She begins by describing the myths of the Kolla (pre-Inca) people and shows how their Inca conquerors attempted to establish legitimacy the reconciling their myths of cosmic and ethnic origin with teh Kolla myths. Fascinating book. [1 copy available]
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THE HISTORY OF THE INCAS (AKA Les Incas)
by Alfred Metraux. 79 B&W photos, maps, and De Poma drawings illustrate. Condition: Very Good + 1976 Schocken Books Trade Paperback, first thus, 4th printing. Tiny edgewear with pale spine crease & 1 dog earred page tip. This was my book and it was read gently. Interior clean & tight. Content: Metraux lets us see the Inca empire for what it was: not Eldorado but the brief culmination of a process of development extending back into prehistory, and still traceable in the lives of the Indians of contemporary Bolivia and Peru. The author presents the Spanish conquest and the modern mestizo states as only an interlude between ancient and future Indian domination. As much anthropology as history and archaeology. [1 copy available]
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THE INCAS: A Magical Epic About a Lost World
by Daniel Peters. Decorated end pages, B&W charts and maps. Beautiful cover art by Wendell Minor. Condition: UNREAD 1991 Random House huge (1060 pages) hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), second printing. Content: Intrigue, betrayal, warfare and family relationships form the fabric of this absorbing, epic of the Inca empire in the two decades preceding the Spanish invasion. The love interest is provided by Cusi Huaman, a young Inca warrior once scorned as a weakling by his father, and Micay, a healer and daughter of a Chachapoya rebel chief. Around them swirl dozens of historical and fictional characters, including three war chiefs who become the last Inca emperors. Writing with the detail and accuracy customarily accorded anthropological treatises, Peters recreates ritual initiations, internecine feuds, the crushing of rebellions and the active presence of the gods in daily life. Though the pace is slow and stately, this expansive novel plunges the reader into a maelstrom climaxed by the arrival of Francisco Pizarro and the "Bearded Ones" in 1532. The futility of war and its devastation of the innocent are as vivid as Peters's detailed portrayal of diverse characters and the land and culture. [1 copy available]
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INCAS AND OTHER MEN: Travels in the Andes
by George Woodcock. B&W maps and photo section. Condition: Good only, gently pre-read 1959 Faber & Faber (London) Trade Paperback, no printing given. Edge wear with spine & hinge crease. Interior clean & tight. Content: This is a snapshot of the Andean Inca descendants as detailed during Woodcock's trip through the Andes in the mid-1950s. Woodcock relates the cultures are they were then (and are today) weaving ancient civilizaton with the press of modern culture & technology. Fascinating. Questions welcome [1 copy available]
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THE INCAS AND THEIR ANCESTORS: The Archaeology of Peru
by Michael E. Moseley. B&W photos, maps, and drawings illustrate. Condition: Very Good 1997 Thames & Hudson Trade Paperback, reprint. There are several pages with underlining and a few notes in the margins - my notes! There are no outward signs of use. The interior is tight. I love this book! Content: In 1532, when Pizarro conquered Peru, the Inca realm was one of the largest empires on earth, graced by gold masterpieces, towns with great palaces and temples, and an impressive network of roads. But this glittering culture only obscured the rich and diverse civilizations that had preceded it: Chavin, Moche, Nazca, Tiwanaku, Huari, and Chimu. The author's synthesis takes us from the first settlement over 10,000 years ago to the Spanish conquest. He shows that Andean prehistory can be understood only in terms of adaptations to extraordinary extremems, from the narrow coastal desert to the harsh highlands. 255 B&W illustrations. [1 copy available]
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LOST CITY OF THE INCAS: The Story of Machu Picchu and It's Builders
by Hiram Bingham. B&W photo section. Condition: UNREAD c. 1980s Librerias A.B.C. SA - Lima, Perua softcover, no edition given. Tiny edgewear with pale vertical crease front cover. Interior clean & tight - NO tanning. Content: Early in the 20th century, Bingham ventured into the wild and then unknown country of the Eastern Peruvian Andes--and in 1911 came upon the fabulous Inca city that made him famous: Machu Picchu. In the space of one short season he went on to discover two more lost cities, including Vitcos, where the last Incan Emperor was assassinated. [1 copy available]
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MARKHAM IN PERU: The Travels of Clements R. Markham, 1852 - 1853
by Charles R. Markham. Edited by Peter Blanchard. B&W maps and illustrations from Markham's journal. Condition: NEW 1991 University of Texas Press Trade Paperback, first edition, first printing. Tiny edge wear. Content: Clements Markham had his own ideas about what his life's work should be. In 1852, Marhkam left his father's choice, the British Navy, and set out for Peru to study the ruins of the Inca empire. His ten-month sojourn in Peru produced this journal, one of the few surviving accounts of Peru at mid-nineteenth century, and launched Markham on a career that led ultimately to the presidency of the Royal Geographical Society. His journal captures Peru in transition from the colonial past to the modern ear. He was one of the first English travelers to visit Cuzco and he also witnessed the waning of slavery on the great cotton and sugar plantations as modern machinery and Chinese coolie labor were introduced. He visited with all classes of society, from the Indian peasants, who still lived much as their Inca ancestors had done, to the Spanish-descended elites, whose Europeanized lifestyle was underwritten by fortunes made in the guano industry. Fascinating! Questions welcome. [2 copies available]
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MATHEMATICS OF THE INCAS: Code of the Quipu
by Marcia Ascher and Robert Ascher. B&W drawings, charts, and photos illustrate. Condition: NEW 1997 Dover Trade Paperback, "slightly corrected" edition, assumed first printing. Content: Originally published in 1981 as "Code of the Quipu," the cover notes that this edition is "unabridged, slightly corrected republication." The Incas possessed no writing (that we have found). Instead, they developed a unique system expressed on spatial arrays of colored knotted cords called quipus to record and transmit information throughout their vast empire. This book is based on a firsthand study of actual quipus that survived the invasion and destruction of the Inca civilization. Marcia Ascher is a mathematician and Robert Ascher is an anthropologist. Over 125 illustrations. Questions welcome. [2 copies available]
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THE SECRET OF THE INCAS: Myth, Astronomy, and the War Against Time
by William Sullivan. B&W maps and charts. Condition: UNREAD but not perfect 1995 Three Rivers Press Trade Paperback, first printing. Perfect but for medium tanning to page edges. Content: At its peak, the Inca empire was the largest on Earth. Yet in the year 1532, it was conquered by fewer than 200 Spanish adventurers. How could this happen? Approaching the answer clue by clue, scholar William Sullivan decodes the myths of the Incas to reveal an astoundingly precise record of astronomical events. The Incas accepted their fate as written in the stars. [1 copy available]
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STAIRWAYS TO THE STARS: Skywatching in Three Great Ancient Cultures
by Anthony Aveni. B&W photos and detailed drawings of astronomical observation sites. Condition: NEW 1996 John Wiley & Sons hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first edition, first printing. Content: With little or no technology, many ancient societies achieved significant understanding of the movements and cycles of the moon, sun, planets, and stars. The primary difference between their astronomy and ours is that they believed the sky served as a connection between the natural and spiritual world, while our Western view of science dictates an objective, quantifiable, and measurable existence. Using the findings of the last decade, Aveni (Behind the Crystal Ball) examines the astronomy of three ancient societies: Great Britain and Stonehenge; the Mayas and the cult of Venus; and the Incas and the city of Cuzco, built as a vast observatory. Also included is a chapter on "naked eye" observing that allows readers to see the night sky as did our ancient ancestors. This book is not as much a history of astronomy, but a focused survey of the beliefs and astronomy of three ancient cultures and how they compare and contrast with the prevailing way that Western society watches the night sky. [1 copy available]
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TRAIL OF FEATHERS: In Search of the Birdmen of Peru
by Tahir Shah. Two color photo sections. Condition: NEW 2002 Phoenix (UK) trade paperback, first thus, first printing. Content: Enthralled by the chronicle of a 16th-century Spanish monk, which said that the Incas 'flew like birds' over the jungle, and by the recurring theme of flying in Peruvian folklore, Tahir Shah set out to discover whether the Incas really did fly or glide above the jungles of Peru. Or was it flight of a different kind, inspired by powerful drugs? After gathering equipment in London the long quest begins, in the mountains of Peru, with a trek to Machu Picchu, the Incas' most sacred city. Then on to the mountain city of Cusco and a mysterious island on Lake Titicaca, before the trail of clues leads to the coast and through the desert, to the immense animal-like etchings which form the Nazca Lines and a remote burial ground for 30,000 mummified corpses. And finally to an epic river-journey up the Amazon to discover the secrets of the Shuar, a tribe of legendary savagery. Even for a traveller so used to surreal adventures, there are many strange encounters - some gruesome, some hilarious - among madmen and dreamers, sorcerers, con-men and jungle experts, before he can at last discover the truth about the Birdmen of Peru. Questions welcome [2 copies available]
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TWO EARTHS, TWO HEAVENS: An Essay Contrasting the Aztecs and the Incas
by Burr Cartwright Brundage. Machu Picchu cover art. Condition: UNREAD 1975 UNM Press hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), stated first edition. DJ has minor edgewear and is price-clipped. Content: Brundage, a historian who has written extensively about both the Incas and the Aztecs, here compares their origins, creation myths, religions and ways of life and warfare. "The Incas," he writes, "trusting in their destiny as a master race, planned ahead whereas the Aztecs, pessimistic and acutely aware of irresponsibility as a main characteristic of the gods, lived from day to day dutifully performing the rites of war." He portrays the Inca Empire as "synonymous with order," the Aztec Empire as a "byproduct of warfare." His innovative explanation of the defeat of the two nations by the Spanish is based on his belief that by the sixteenth century both empires had already passed their apex. Questions welcome [1 copy available]
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VALVERDE'S GOLD: In Search of the Last Great Inca Treasure
by Mark Honigsbaum. B&W maps and photo section. Condition: NEW 2004 Farrar, Straus hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first edition, first printing. Content: Journalist and historian Honigsbaum was on a research trip in 2000 to Baños, Ecuador, when he heard an intriguing tale: in a cave somewhere in the mountains northeast of Baños, a hoard of gold originally intended as part of the ransom for Inca emperor Atahualpa was said to have been hidden in 1533, and a document known as Valverde's Guide indicated how to find it. Fascinated, Honigsbaum pored through archives; the more he read, the more complex the story became. His recounting of his journey of discovery, about the guides and maps (there turn out to be many), is deliciously detailed and dense, as satisfying as any mystery, since he's genuinely stymied by the riddles he finds. His cast includes a botanist who harvests microscopic orchids resembling bumblebees, an aging Ecuadoran playboy who drinks and lies, and wary descendants of men who held the original treasure maps in their hands. Despite warnings that the treasure's a chimera and that the mountains are perilously labyrinthine, Honigsbaum eventually sets out to find the treasure. What he finds is a spellbinding climax to this tale of adventure and of the age-old lure of treasure. This is NOT Indiana Jones fare, but it is fascinating reading. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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THE WORLD OF THE INCA (L'Adventure Inca)
by Bertrand Flornoy. Translated from the French by Winifred Bradford. B&W photos, drawings, and maps illustrate. Condition: Good only, c. 1956 ex-library book, Vangard Press hardcover & DJ with all library markings. Content: An early view of the Inca Empire by French scientist and explorer Flornoy who covers everything from legends, gods, society structure, and the downfall of the Empire. One of the most valuable chapters is a detailed accounting of the Inka social structure. This is, of course, an older book, but that doesn't mean the information, although dated in some instances, is not worth reading/knowing. One of the most important issues in history is knowing what people thought during previous times and why. This is a fascinating book and important read in Inka history. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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THE WORLD OF THE INCA (L'Adventure Inca)
by Bertrand Flornoy. Translated from the French by Winifred Bradford. B&W photos, drawings, and maps illustrate. Condition: Good only, 1958 Doubleday-Anchor paperback, no priting given. Tanning to light colored cover. Content: An early view of the Inca Empire by French scientist and explorer Flornoy who covers everything from legends, gods, society structure, and the downfall of the Empire. One of the most valuable chapters is a detailed accounting of the Inka social structure. This is, of course, an older book, but that doesn't mean the information, although dated in some instances, is not worth reading/knowing. One of the most important issues in history is knowing what people thought during previous times and why. This is a fascinating book and important read in Inka history. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 5.49 + $ 2.94 media shipping. Priority & International shipping available.