"In this first ethnomusicological analysis of ancient Andean musical instruments, Dale Olsen breathes life and humanity into the music making of pre-Hispanic cultures in the northern and central Andes. Assessing three decades' worth of anthropological findings from diverse collections, museums, tombs, and temples, Olsen asks, "What did music mean in the lives of these pre-Columbians?" Part musical quest, part adventure of the mind, the book explores why, when, and how the instruments were played and provides a tangible link not only to a wealth of material culture but to the spirit of these ancient people as well."--BOOK JACKET.