In the first of this two-part series, Dr William Sullivan examines why Andean civilisation could possibly have been conquered as a result of this battle and why a clash of cultural beliefs could have caused the downfall of the largest nation state to have ever existed in the western hemisphere. In one of the strangest events in all recorded history, Spaniards after adventure, fortune and power, to their own amazement seized this seemingly infallible empire. What the Spaniards never knew, however, and what history does not record, was that the Andean people had been aware of the imminence of this event for some 100 years through a complex and systematic charting of the stars.
In the final of this two part series, Bill Sullivan discovers that the ancient Inca myths have been translated into physical representations created in the natural landscape, demonstrating how potent and integrated Inca culture was. The Inca empire began as early as 1200 AD in the city of Cuzco, but it was not until 1438 that it began to expand across modern day Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, and some of Argentina. At its height, the Empire was the largest nation on Earth and remains the largest nation state to have existed in the western hemisphere. The culture was sophisticated and advanced, with an organised taxation system. It was also incredibly rich and powerful. The Inca Empire at its peak was the largest kingdom on Earth. The Incas were master builders, fearsome warriors and practitioners of human sacrifice. Yet this mighty state was conquered by a small band of Spanish adventurers. 7000 men were killed and 10,000 injured. But how could the Incas let this happen?