Describes Inca mummies found at Puruchuco and the ice mummies of the Andes, as well as what scientists have learned from them.

"When the Smithsonian Institution's first Hall of Physical Anthropology opened in 1965, the first thing visitors saw were 160 Andean skulls fixed to the wall like a mushroom cloud. Empires of the Dead explains that Skull Wall's origins, and this introduction establishes its scope: a history from 1532 to the present of how the collection of Inca mummies, Andean crania, and a pre-Hispanic surgery named trepanation made "ancient Peruvians" the single largest population in the Smithsonian and many other museums in Peru, the Americas, and the world. This introduction argues that the Hall of Physical Anthropology displayed these collections while hiding their foundation on Indigenous, Andean, and Peruvian cultures of healing and science. These "Peruvian ancestors" of American anthropology reveal the importance of Indigenous and Latin American science and empire to global history, and their relevance to debates over museums and Indigenous human remains today"--

This book takes armchair adventurers and archaeological enthusiasts not only to the excavation, but back through Peruvian history as it revisits the 1995 discovery of the mummy of a 14-year-old who died or was sacrificed some 530 years ago.

Introduces what life was like for the ruler of the Incas, discussing the control of the empire, the royal household, religious customs, and the mummification and worship of the deceased ruler as a god.

Inca mummies hold fascinating secrets. They teach us hidden facts about the past. This narrative nonfiction book examines Inca mummies and the mummification process. Look inside to uncover these ancient treasures! Each book includes a table of contents, glossary of key words, index, author biography, sidebars, and mummy map.

Welcome to the fascinating world of the Ancient Incas—rulers of the largest empire of the New World prior to the Spanish arrival. At the height of their reign, Incas controlled nearly two thousand miles of the western coast of South America—from northern Ecuador to central Chile. The activities in this book provide insight into the history, religion, culture, art, and life of the ancient Incas. The eight full-color transparencies at the back of the book (print books) or the included PowerPoint slides (eBooks) can be used alone or with specific activities listed in the table of contents.

The Inca Empire was a complex, highly developed society that ruled ancient Peru for centuries. The civilization grew strong thanks to important advances in technology. This information-rich title covers the Inca’s roads and communications systems, buildings, bridges, terrace farming, and tools. Readers will also learn about important scientific innovations such as calendars, Quipu, the Incas’ understanding of astronomy, and their medicinal practices. Written with age-appropriate language and accompanied by colorful images, this title brings Inca technology to life.