Indiana Jones: Myth, Reality And 21st Century Archaeology

The Inca presided over the largest empire in the Western hemisphere in pre-Columbian era. Ever since Hiram Bingham brought Machu Picchu (the most famous of all Inca sites) to the spotlight about a century ago, our fascination with this expansive indigenous culture has grown exponentially. Advances in archaeological methodologies over the past decade are casting new light on the settlement systems and social and economic organization of the Inca Empire. Researchers are unraveling the nature of complex infra-structures and unique administrative and organizational hierarchies. Our guest this week, Dr. Terry D'Altroy, of Columbia University is one of the most innovate thinkers in the field and he provides an account of the latest developments in Inca research. Dr. D’Altroy’s most recent work extends into the realm of Inca cosmology and metaphysics and he explores the unique Inca concepts of time and space based on newly integrated archaeological finds and interpretations.