This book provides an introduction to one of the most fascinating and well-known centers of ancient civilization. Explores the rise of civilization in the Central Andes from the time of the region's earliest inhabitants to the emergence of the Inca state many thousands of years later. Comprised of 13 newly commissioned chapters written by leading archaeologists representing current thinking in the field. Presents the central debates in contemporary Inca and Andean archaeology. Progresses chronologically and culturally to reveal the processes by which multiple Andean societies became increasingly complex.