Economies of the Inca World

The Inca Empire (c. 1400-1532) was the largest Indigenous state to develop in the Americas, spanning the extraordinarily rich landscapes of the central Andes. Scholarly approaches to Inca-era economies initially drew on Spanish colonial documents that emphasized royal resource monopolies, labor tribute, and kin-based land tenure. Anthropologists in recent decades have emphasized local economic self-sufficiency and the role of reciprocity in Inca economics. This Element adds to the existing literature by reviewing recent archaeological research in the Inca capital region and different provinces. The material evidence and documents indicate considerable variation in the development and implementation of Inca political economy, reflecting an array of local economic practices that were tailored to different Andean environments. Although Inca economic development downplayed interregional trade, emerging evidence indicates the existence of more specialized trading practices in Inca peripheral regions, some of which persisted under imperial rule.

Product details

• Authors: R. Alan (University of Texas Covey, Covey R. Alan, Jordan A. Dalton
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.01.2025
• EAN: 9781009552097
• ISBN: 978-1-0-0955209-7
• No. of pages: 114
• Series: Elements in Ancient and Pre-modern Economies
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > General, dictionaries; Non-fiction book > History > Pre and early history, antiquity; Social sciences, law, business > Social sciences (general); SOCIAL SCIENCE / Archaeology, c 1000 CE to c 1500, Political Economy, Early Man, 15th century, c 1400 to c 1499, Archaeology by period / region, c 1500 to c 1600, Landscape Archaeology, Pre-Columbian America, Early 16th century c 1500 to c 1550, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Inca Empire / Inca civilisations