This story appears in the January 2009 issue of National Geographic magazine. Like many of his Inca ancestors, Juan Apaza is possessed by gold. Descending into an icy tunnel 17,000 feet up in the ...

After a child was chosen or offered to the emperor, a procession would begin from the child's home village to Cuzco, the crown seat of the Inca empire. Priests, family members, and chiefs would ...

Inca mastery of landscape and environment is epitomised at Machu Picchu, their most famous ruin. Many archaeologists believe Machu Picchu was a summer retreat for the emperor and his family.