As confirmed by research scientists, Incas ruled on the vast territory of the Pacific coast of America and in the highlands of the Andes. In the XV century, their Empire was the largest and most powerful state of the continent.

How far advanced the Incas to the East - in the foothills of the Andes and in Amazonia - still not determined for sure. Finnish and American archaeologists have found traces of an unknown "Golden path" of the Incas - winding and difficult route through the Andes mountains to the plain.

In the document 1790 tells of the campaign of Tupac Inca, yupanki in the Amazon region. Finnish archaeologist Ari Virapen amazed how far to the East climbed representatives of this ancient people. Archaeological expedition was held under yupanki and found a lot of interesting and unexpected. 20 km to the North of lake Titicaca striking high steep rock - there are the remains of the disappeared highly developed culture. Under the rock opened the ruins of buildings made of lying on top of one another stone platforms. Grand likeness of the pyramid created two thousand years ago culture pukara is the oldest civilization in the highlands of the Andes. Around the ritual space, arranged in deepening, climbed the wall fences, stairs and residential buildings.

Stone statues of culture pukara depicting wild animals, clearly indicate that the sculptors were familiar not only with poor animal world of the Andes. The figures of fantastic beasts resemble snakes and lizards-leguan with the head of the Puma. Next to the shaman stone, holding in his hand cut off your head, you can see statues of jaguars, which are far below, on the plain with a tropical climate. These stone figures researchers immediately realized that the ancient sculptors knew the way to the valley of the Amazon and probably met there with other people.

Gold decoration of the Incas

From the settlement pukara move through the mountains. On the rocky banks of mountain rivers remain the foundations built by ancient Indians bridges. The Incas had crossed the bridge from ropes and wicker mats through the abyss, reaching a width of 30 m On such a solid suspension bridges to move not only people, but also herds of llamas. Some of the Inca roads are used in our time, renovated, prolong. The total length of all built by the Incas roads amounted to 40 thousand km of single road network United the wide military roads and rugged mountain paths.

The road from the plateau in the valley of the Amazon is through the mountain ridge height of 4900 m American archaeologist Charles Stanis has organized several expeditions to find routes that linked the Inca Empire with lying to the East of the Amazon lowland. Lists of collectors of tribute XVI century, has made him a real trail: the Incas was not gold mines in the Andes, then they received the gold from remote provinces.

Local people before the arrival of the Incas paved trails in their own lands, but it is the latter joined isolated, difficult to traverse areas and built its own network of roads with hanging bridges across rivers and gorges. Caravans from hundreds of Lam carried to the capital Cuzco tropical fruits, colorful feathers of parrots, honey, Coca leaves and, most importantly, is gold. Thanks to good roads and the system of relays to the Governor for two days, has brought fresh caught in 400 km from the Palace of the fish.

Following the instructions of a local farmer, archaeologists discovered in the jungle of stone staircase, which was built 500 years ago, and the old dilapidated wall. The expedition Charles Stanica slipped through the impassable thickets, focusing on the ruins of the wall. Archaeologists have climbed up a small flat area, hanging at a dizzy height above the deep gorge. With this uncomfortable place shrouded in thick fog, overlooks two valleys. But what is the purpose built ancient building? There was this wall with space part of the fortress, the temple, or of the altar?

The thickness of the walls suggests that there was a large-scale construction. Its location was very convenient for Central control of the conquered lands for defense from enemies. The location of the walls indicates their ritual purpose - all the buildings are oriented towards the heavenly bodies. For residential premises of the building are too high. Most likely, it was a fortress-temple. Subordinating other Nations, the Incas thought not only about the benefits they have enlightened "savages", turned them into his own, "the true faith.

Amazonia was for the Incas strange and hostile land. To get there gold, it was necessary to conclude an Alliance with local leaders and, together with them, to confront the more militant and rebellious tribes. The Incas were replaced hostile Indian tribes and gave their land to his vassals.

In the ancient chronicle says that the fortress yupanki standing there confluence of two rivers. Finnish archaeologists continued the search on the river Madre de Dios. The Indians call it the Snake river, because the river meanders on the plain like a slithering snake. Finns were accompanied by the Bolivian colleague Juan Falldin. On the river they found the boat, appeared floating dredges gold miners: by the rivers of Peru, Bolivia and Brazil are such boats of a great variety. The technology of extraction of gold is the most primitive. Through a wide hose pumps pumping silt from the bottom of the boat to have felt the tray. Gold dust settles on the felt with a shallow river sand. Then gold is separated from the sand with mercury. The work of miners is very harmful, but gives a very decent in those places earnings - 25-35 grams of gold per day.

At the confluence of the Madre de Dios river Beni archaeologists expect to see something of interest, because the locals told about the stone ruins. But to conduct archaeological excavations in the jungle is not easy. Tropical vegetation densely obletaet any buildings, and their cleaning is very difficult. In addition, the river often change the channel, so the buildings have been intermittently under water and is now covered by layers of silt. Dampness, suffocating, sticky heat, dengue fever Dengue, poisonous plants and animals, clouds annoying bugs also not facilitate archaeologists working in the Amazon jungle.

However, little by little before scientists opened the fallen wall. Perhaps she was part of the fortress, which was looking for archaeologists. Scientists estimate that the length of the wall was 600 M. It is a solid strengthening towered 400 km East from the known boundaries of the Inca Empire.

Survey of ruins of the fortress in the jungle has only just begun, but already there is evidence of presence there at the time of the Incas. Thus, we can assume that a border fortress of the Inca Empire was even much further, but nothing is known about them. When building a new highway to Santa Cruz de La Sierra in the area of Trinidad dug motroway width deepening in artificial hill, which in those places very much. Archaeologists have hastened to take the opportunity to examine the inside of ancient mounds. Radiocarbon research has shown that people lived in this place in the VI century in the XV century and earlier there was a river bed.

Explore the artificial hills difficult and dangerous. The place is deaf, roads little, to some hills can be reached only by boat. However, German archaeologist Heiko Pruners with the conductor Riccardo found traces of a developed agricultural culture. The people who lived in those places, presumably were influenced by the culture of the Incas and paying tribute to the Empire, but this remains to be proven.