Detailed study
Recent Horizon (1450 - 1532 A.D.
The Incas were plausibly one of many races that populated the Andean plateaus after the fall of the Wari, battling continuously to defend their territorial borders, in respect of whom we have little or fragmentary information.
The conflicts with the outlying populations forced them to quickly adopt a constantly aggressive policy that, in less than two centuries, allowed them to build the most powerful Andean empire in history.
Their origin, despite the numerous versions that have been proposed, is lost in legend; the Incas themselves contributed to circulating false stories about their past, in order to make their roots seem more noble and to reinforce the image of their dynasty. On the basis of archaeological data and historians, one can determine the year 1200 as being the customary date for the founding of the Inca state and the beginning of the royal dynasty, which had 13 sovereigns, which ruled from the capital city Cusco.
It is certain however that in 1438 A.D. the coronation of Pachacutec took place, and started an imperial expansive phase, in which the entire Peruvian territory and part of Ecuador were annexed. His successor, Tupak Yupanqui (1471-1493) extended the empire to include part of Bolivia, Argentina and Chile, applying simultaneously a policy of consolidation in the areas that had already been conquered, until he was assassinated. His son Huayna Capac succeeded him in 1493 and assumed control of an empire troubled by continuous revolts by the oppressed populations, above all in the peripheral regions.
Adding to the empire’s difficulties was a disease that had thousands of victims: it was probably smallpox that preceded the arrival of the Europeans, crossing the Panamar isthmus, and infecting the Incas causing death (1527). The sons, Atahualpa and Huascar fought to fill the power vacuum but put their personal ambitions before the need to compactly fight the European enemy who they seemed to underestimate. In this way Francisco Pizarro found a situation which favoured his every move and enabled him to get to Cusco in a very short time, beginning the definitive European conquest.
The Inca empire, also called Tawantisuyu (four quadrants) due to its extension to all four cardinal points, was able to maintain the political control of the conquered territory, thanks to the dense road network and a common language imposed on all the oppressed populations. The military, judicial and administrative organisation contributed to the imposition of a state model at whose summit was the Inca, child of the sun and the highest authority. The noble elite assumed administrative, diplomatic and governmental positions. The high priest, second only to the Inca and his direct family, managed the religious class.
The official religion was imposed, even if sometimes respect for the cults of the ancient tradition were maintained, maybe as a diplomatic strategy. The population had to adapt to a system of subdivisions called Ayllu, communities dedicated to collective labour and three quarters of the produce was destined to the maintenance of the religious and political hierarchy.
The Incas will go down in history as being bringers of civilisation and for having a superior artistic expression; they have been attributed merit that is out of proportion with reality: in fact they organised an empire using and perfecting pre-existent structures. The necessities for order and economic planning of the Inca Empire did not leave space for creativity, except in isolated cases. Their art cannot be separated from the rules imposed by the dominant class and is oriented towards a mass production of goods for trade, intended as merchandise and tax. In architecture there was a search for equilibrium with nature and technical perfection, always based on predefined rules in which functionality and practicality were more important than aesthetics.
Nevertheless, the Inca style is unmistakable for the harmony of all its elements, the perfect equilibrium of volumes and the fundamentals that inspire it: stone, the basic building element, is worked and assembled in a masterly way that is unequalled in pre-Colombian Peru. The ceramics have a characteristic sobriety and refinement. The various types are based on simple and elegant forms. Frequently they produced keros, aribalos, plates and jars of small sizes.
The polychromatic decoration is obtained with a dulled colour tone, in general on a dark red background, using geometric designs and seldom with naturalistic elements. Their stone sculpture is almost non existent and limited to the production of statuettes dedicated to the fulfilment of a vow, generally zoomorphic, or useful instruments. The most prestigious craft was weaving that was rigidly controlled and regulated.
Apart from their function as a utility and a source of tax, the fabrics constituted the item of exchange offered or traded in every social, religious and political event. Metallurgy reached its peak with the crafting of gold, silver and bronze. Gold was used by the Incas above all to cover walls, doors and niches of the temples. In the temple of Koricancha, in Cusco, their gardens were composed of trees, flowers, animals and life-sized human forms made with gold.
The Conquistadores plundered and dispersed this immense art treasure, melting it into ingots to facilitate transport.
