The Largest Empire of pre-Columbian America was toppled in under a decade by Spanish invaders who looted the fabled riches of its greatest city, Cuzco, and severed its 15,000-mile system of roads. But the Inka empire was only the final link in a chain of urban development stretching back to 2500 BC. What went before? How did cities evolve in the ancient Andes? Who built them, and how do we know? Tracing the oscillation of cultural leadership between desert and highlands, the authors show how village settlements gave way to religious centers, how these developed into cities, and how city states became empires. Vignettes of the lives of individuals - the leader of a Hama caravan, a delivery boy in the Chimu city of Chan Chan and an Inka sacrificial victim among them - vividly bring to life the archaeological narrative and help convey the importance of ceremony in Andean life. Discussions of topics as varied as acoustics at Chavin de Huantar, the iconography of the Moche Sacrifice Ceremony, the significance of Machu Picchu and sacred geography in Tiwanaku are complemented by information from textiles, pottery and fabulous gold objects, and the latest evidence from archaeological excavations. The result is an accessible and intriguing reconstruction of life in these ancient cities of the Andes.