Michael E. Moseley

The Peruvian archeologist, Professor M.E. Moseley, argues against the assumption that civilization follows after agriculture and settled villages. Using a broad variety of details, the Professor shows that civilization in the central coast of Peru arose without the benefit of agriculture. Great resource for comparing political and social organization, and the implications for the early period dependent upon maritime resources, and the later coastal civilization dependent on agriculture.

This book is titled "The Incas and Their Ancestors, The Archaeology of Peru". In truth the title should be read in reverse. Much of the book deals with various archaeological sites in Peru, mostly large scale centers of occupation. By citing scientific documentation the author describes the architecture and other physical remains of the cultures that lived throughout the region from the earliest inhabitants and their dispersal through later kingdoms. With the use of maps and the grouping of show more sites by geographical area, the divisions of Andean terrain are shown to be directly tied to resource use and development of differing social structures in areas near the ocean and along near shore river valleys as opposed to higher elevations. There are good diagrams and photographs that illustrate the sites discussed and the information throughout is clear and concise. The only drawback, as alluded to earlier, is that the discussion of the Incas is somewhat limited. Much more space is dedicated to the other people who populated the area before the Inca's rise to power. However, this fact makes the book great for those who have read enough about the Incas and want more information on the many centuries that preceded them. A good resource for an introduction to prehistoric Andean archaeology. show less