The Inca: Masters of the Clouds

The Inca: Masters of the Clouds

Archaeologist Dr. Jago Cooper explores the origins, history, achievements and nature of ancient South America’s Inca Empire. Traveling from the highlands of Ecuador to the peaks of the Andes, he reveals how their mighty civilization was established, how they mastered their landscape to produce food for millions, and how a brutal civil war and pandemics led to their ultimate destruction.

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The Inca: Masters of the Clouds on BBC Select

Episode 1: Foundations
Dr. Jago reveals how the Inca made one of the toughest landscapes in the world habitable.

Venturing from the coast to the clouds, Dr. Jago Cooper investigates how the Inca conquered and developed one of the most challenging landscapes in the world to feed millions and created sophisticated systems of communication. This fascinating history documentary explores how varied independent societies became a commanding empire, not through force, but by using subtle methods of persuasion.

Episode 2: Clash of Empires
How did the strengths of the mighty Inca Empire suddenly become factors in its demise?

Traveling from Peru to the far north of Inca territory in Ecuador, Dr. Jago Cooper reveals how the great strengths of the empire suddenly became factors in its rapid demise. He argues that it wasn’t simply a clash of arms that destroyed the civilization but a clash of worldviews. The Incas may be gone, but what can their legacy teach modern societies today?

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