"The Inka Road stands as one of the world’s monumental engineering achievements. At the height of Inka imperial power in the fifteenth century, the twenty-four thousand-mile road system linked South America’s mountain peaks and tropical lowlands, crossed its rivers and deserts, and became the supreme emblem of the Inka genius for cultural integration. Today, the road serves Andean communities in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile as a sacred space and a symbol of continuity. The Great Inka Road: Engineering an Empire brings together twenty-four essays as well as striking color photographs and maps to provide a multifaceted view of a road that remains unparalleled in hemispheric history for its capacity to connect diverse peoples and resources over an expansive and difficult topography."--