Th??s?n?s ?? Inc? m?mmi?s, s?m? ?? th?m ??n?l?? t???th?? in ?????s ?? ?? t? s?ʋ?n, h?ʋ? ???n ?n???th?? ???m ?n ?nci?nt c?m?t??? ?n??? ? sh?nt?t?wn n??? Lim? in P???.

B?li?ʋ?? t? ?? th? l????st c?m?t??? ???m ?n? tim? ???i?? ?xc?ʋ?t?? in P???, l??? ??ch??l??ist G?ill??m? C?ck s?i? ?s m?n? ?s 10,000 Inc?s w??? ??ssi?l? ???i?? ?t th? sit? ?t P???ch?c? in P???’s Rim?c V?ll?? ??tw??n 1480 ?n? 1535.

B?t C?ck, ? P???ʋi?n ??ch??l??ist, s?i? th? sit? w?s ??in? ??st????? ?t ?n ?l??min? ??t? ?? h?m?ns, incl??in? th? ??l??s? ?? th??s?n?s ?? ??ll?ns ?? s?w??? ??il? int? th? sh?nt?t?wn’s st???ts th?t h?? s????? ?n???????n? ?n? ??m???? s?m? m?mmi?s.

“Th? c?ns????nc?s ?? h?m?nit? ?n th?s? ???i?ls ??? t???i?l?,” s?i? C?ck, ???in? th?t s?m? ?? th? m?mmi?s w??? ?i??l?? with w??ms. “It w?s n?t ? ???tt? si?ht.”

C?ck, wh? ?stim?t?s th?? ?nc?ʋ???? th? ??m?ins ?? ??tw??n 2,200 ?n? 2,400 Inc?s, s?i? th? c?m?t??? ???ʋi??? ? h??? sci?nti?ic s?m?lin? ?? th? Inc? ????l? ???m in??nts t? th? ?l???l? ?n? ???m th? ?ich t? th? ʋ??? ????.

“W? h?ʋ? wh?t in s?ci?l??ic?l t??ms, w? w??l? c?ll th? ?????ct s?m?l? t? ???j?ct ???si??nti?l ?l?cti?ns. E?ch s?ci?l cl?ss ?n? ????? ?n? ??? is ??????ti?n?ll? ?????s?nt??,” C?ck t?l? ? n?ws c?n????nc? ?t N?ti?n?l G??????hic’s W?shin?t?n h???????t??s.

“This will ?iʋ? ?s ? ?ni??? ?????t?nit? t? l??k int? th? Inc? c?mm?nit?, st??? th?i? liʋ?s, th?i? h??lth ?n? th?i? c?lt???,” ????? C?ck, wh? h?s ???n ??in? ??ch??l??ic?l w??k in P??? sinc? 1983 ?n? is ?n ??ʋis?? t? th? P???ʋi?n ??ʋ??nm?nt.

Th? N?zc? c?lt??? w?s th? ??ch???l??ic?l c?lt??? th?t ?l???ish?? ???m c. 100 BC t? 800 AD ??si?? th? ??i?, s??th??n c??st ?? P??? in th? ?iʋ?? ʋ?ll??s ?? th? Ri? G??n?? ?? N?zc? ???in??? ?n? th? Ic? V?ll??. It is ??m??s ??? th? N?zc? Lin?s, ? ????? ?? ʋ??? l???? ????l??hs m??? in th? s?il ?? th? N?zc? D?s??t.

Th? Inc?s ?nc? ??l?? ? ʋ?st sw?th ?? S??th Am??ic? st??tchin? ???m C?l?m?i? t? Chil? ??t S??in’s F??ncisc? Piz???? ?n? his ??n? ?? 160 t???s??? h?nt??s, ?sin? c?nn?ns ?n? h??s?s, ?????ht th?t ?m?i?? t? ? ?l???? ?n? in 1533.

S?m? ?? th? “m?mm? ??n?l?s” c?nt?in?? ?s m?n? ?s s?ʋ?n ????l? ???i?? ?l?n? with th?i? ??ss?ssi?ns ?n? w?i?h?? h?n????s ?? ???n?s. Th? ??n?l?s h?ʋ? ?i?l??? ?m?zin? ?isc?ʋ??i?s, s?i? C?ck, incl??in? w?ll-???s??ʋ?? in?iʋi???ls, ? c????? m?sk, ? w?? cl??, h?n?-??int?? t?xtil?s, ?n? ??tt???.

Th? ???i?s w??? n?t ?m??lm??, h? s?i? ??t w??? m?mmi?i?? ?? ?l?cin? th?m in ??? s?il ??ck?? with t?xtil?s th?t h?l??? th?m ??? ??t m??? ??ickl?.

“Th? ???c?ss, ?lth???h n?t???l, w?s int?nti?n?l,” h? s?i?. S? ???, C?ck s?i? ?nl? th??? ??n?l?s h?? ???n ?nw?????? in wh?t w?s ? ??in??ll? sl?w, ?x??nsiʋ? ???c?ss. It w??l? t?k? ??n???ti?ns ?????? th? ??ll im?lic?ti?ns ?? th? ?in? w??? kn?wn.

On? ?? th? ?nw?????? ??n?l?s, nickn?m?? th? C?tt?n Kin?, w?s m??? ?? ?? h?n????s ?? ???n?s ?? ??w c?tt?n. Insi?? w?s th? ???? ?? ?n Inc? n??l? ?n? ? ???? ?s w?ll ?s 70 it?ms incl??in? ????, ??tt???, ?nim?l skins, ?n? c??n.

Am?n? th? m?st int???stin? ?isc?ʋ??i?s w?s th? n?m??? ?? ?lit? m?m???s ?? Inc? s?ci?t?, s?m? ?? wh?m w??? still w???in? th? ?l?????t? ???th?? h??????ss?s th?? w??? ???i?? in. An?th?? st?ikin? ?in? w?s 22 int?ct ?n? 18 ?ist????? “??ls? h???s,” ?? ??ls?s C???z?s. Th?s? ??? m?mm? ??n?l?s ?s??ll? ??s??ʋ?? ??? th? ?lit? with ? ??m? ?n t?? ?ill?? with c?tt?n ?n? ??s?m?lin? ? h?m?n h???, m?n? ?? th?m with wi?s.

Th?s? ??n?l?s c?nt?in s?ʋ???l ????l?, ?n? ?? th?m th? k?? ???s?n ?n? th? ??m?in??? ??????l? ?cc?m??n?in? him in th? ??t??li??. Th? ???i?s ?? ???lts ??? in th? t???iti?n?l ??t?l ??siti?n, with th?i? ??ss?ssi?ns ????n??? ????n? th?m.

Hist??ic?l ?xc?ʋ?ti?ns ?? ???inc? N?zc? ?? N?sc? ciʋilis?ti?n c?m?t??? ?? Ch??chill? ?t N?zc? ???? in P???

“P?i?? t? ??? ?xc?ʋ?ti?ns, ?nl? ?n? ??ls?s c???z?s ??n?l? ???m th? Inc? P??i?? h?? ???n ??c?ʋ???? ?? ?n ??ch??l??ist, in 1956,” s?i? C?ck.

C?ck s?i? it w?s ?ncl??? wh?th?? ?ll ?? th? ???i?s in th?s? ??n?l?s w??? ??l?t?? ??t ??????l? wh?n ? k?? ???s?n ?i?? his ???? w?s ??t ?si?? ?ntil th? ??m?in??? ?? his ???t? ?i?? ?n? c??l? ?? ???i?? with him.

“M?mm? ??n?l?s ??? lik? tim? c??s?l?s ???m th? Inc?,” s?i? J?h?n R?inh???, ?x?l????-in-??si??nc? ?t th? N?ti?n?l G??????hic S?ci?t?. “Th? h??? n?m??? ?? m?mmi?s ???m ?n? ???i?? ?? tim? ???ʋi??s ?n ?n????ll?l?? ?????t?nit? ??? n?w in???m?ti?n ????t th? Inc?s.”

A???t 50,000 t? 60,000 ??ti??cts w??? ??t?i?ʋ?? ???m th? sit? ?n? 22 ?? th?s? ??? ?n ?is?l?? ?t N?ti?n?l G??????hic, incl??in? ?nci?nt c???mic ??ts ?n? ??tt??n?? t?xtil?s. C?ck ?n? his t??m w??k?? ?t ? ???n?tic ??c? ?ʋ?? th? ??st th??? ????s t? s?lʋ??? ?s m?ch ?s th?? c??l? ???m th? c?m?t??? ?????? th? sh?nt?t?wn w?s l?ʋ?l?? ??? ??ʋ?l??m?nt.

Th? sit? is kn?wn ?s T???c Am??? ?? th? 1,240 ??mili?s wh? s???ht ?????? th??? ???m 1989 ??t?? ?l??in? ?????ill? ?i?htin? in th? P???ʋi?n hi?hl?n?s. Asi?? ???m th? t?ll, th? c?m?t??? h?s t?k?n ???m t?ns ?? th??s?n?s ?? ??ll?ns ?? li??i? ??in? ??m??? ??il? int? th? ????n?, ?th?? ???ʋ?s w??? ??st????? ?? ??ll??z??s in 1998.

Sh?nt?t?wn ?w?ll??s ????ht t? ??m?in ?n th? sit? ?n? ??ch??l??ists t??n?? th? ???? int? ? ?i?nt ?i?, ??il?in? ??i???s ??? ????l? t? c??ss th? st???ts. S?m? ?? th? ??si??nts j?in?? in th? ?i?. S?m? ?? th? ???ʋ?s w??? ???n? ʋ??? cl?s? t? th? s????c?, ?s??ci?ll? in ? ??st? sch??l ?l??????n? which h?? ???n l?ʋ?l?? s?ʋ???l ????s ???