Of Summits and Sacrifice: An Ethnohistoric Study of Inka Religious Practices by Thomas Besom (PDF)

Description

In perhaps as few as one hundred years, the Inka Empire became the largest state ever formed by a native people anywhere in the Americas, dominating the western coast of South America by the early sixteenth century. Because the Inkas had no system of writing, it was left to Spanish and semi-indigenous authors to record the details of the religious rituals that the Inkas believed were vital for consolidating their conquests. Synthesizing these arresting accounts that span three centuries, Thomas Besom presents a wealth of descriptive data on the Inka practices of human sacrifice and mountain worship, supplemented by archaeological evidence. Of Summits and Sacrifice offers insight into the symbolic connections between landscape and life that underlay Inka religious beliefs. In vivid prose, Besom links significant details, ranging from the reasons for cyclical sacrificial rites to the varieties of mountain deities, producing a uniquely powerful cultural history.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “This is an important contribution. There is no equivalent book that brings together in such detail the historical sources dealing with the topic of Inka human sacrifice and mountain worship.” — Johan Reinhard, Explorer-in-Residence, National Geographical Society Review “This is an important contribution. There is no equivalent book that brings together in such detail the historical sources dealing with the topic of Inka human sacrifice and mountain worship.” — Johan Reinhard, Explorer-in-Residence, National Geographical Society About the Author Thomas Besom is Research Associate in the Department of Anthropology at Binghamton University in New York. Read more

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐I purchased this for a relaxing vacation read. I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a well written, easy to follow journey through religious practices of the Inka. I learned a good deal. I wish it was longer and went into a little more depth in a few areas. For example, the meanings behind the selected pigmentation colors. The author did an excellent job separating fact, conjecture, and possibly unreliable sources. After flipping through the bibliography I have a list of some new books to read. As a voracious reader with a casual interest in the subject, I was able to understand everything without needing six reference books handy. I highly recommend this work.

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