In 1532, when Pizarro conquered Peru, the Inca realm was one of the largest empires on earth, rivalling that of Ming China or the Ottoman Turks. But this glittering culture only obscured the rich and diverse civilizations that had preceded it: Chavin, Moche, Nazca, Tiwanaku, Huari and Chimu. More research into this heritage has been conducted during the last generation than ever before. This book presents a major synthesis of these new findings, a survey of the great South American civilizations, of equal fascination for student, scholar or traveller.