Vilcabamba and the Archaeology of Inca Resistance

"The sites of Vitcos and Espíritu Pampa are two of the most important Inca cities within the remote Vilcabamba region of Peru. The province has gained notoriety among historians, archaeologists and other students of the Inca, since it was from here that the last independent Incas waged a nearly forty year-long war (AD 1536-1572) against Spanish control of the Andes. Building on three years of excavation and two years of archival work, the authors discuss the events that took place in this area, speaking to the complex relationships that existed between the Europeans and Andeans during the decades that Vilcabamba was the final stronghold of the Inca empire. This has long been a topic of interest for the public; the results of the first large scale, scientific research conducted in the region will be illuminating for scholars as well as for general readers who are enthusiasts of this period of history and archaeology"--Provided by publisher. "In 1537, after the Incas lost their capital city Cusco to invading Spanish forces, the Inca king, Manco Inca, withdrew into the remote and mountainous area of Vilcabamba. For nearly forty years, Manco Inca and his sons attempted to restore control over what had been the largest indigenous state to develop in the Americas. Vilcabamba finally fell to the Spaniards in 1572, when Viceroy Francisco de Toledo launched a massive raid and executed the last ruler of the Incas. Despite its critical position in South American history, until recently Vilcabamba remained archaeologically unexplored. This volume presents the results of the first two large-scale excavation projects conducted in the region. The results will be illuminating for scholars, as well as for general readers interested in the final years of the Inca and the early decades of Colonial rule in the Andes."--