The ruins and tombs high in the Andes Mountains of Peru yield valuable clues to lives of the Ancient Incas. In 1995, the Inca Ice Maiden is recovered, one of four human sacrifices found on Ampato. These mummies provide scientists with perfectly preserved "time capsules"--packed with clues to Inca civilization during the 1400s. Cuzco, the seat of Inca power, reveals the remains of the Inca railroad system and the incredible fortress of Sacsayhuaman. The Coricancha, Cuzco's spectacular Inca temple of worship, contains vital clues to the Incas' spiritual culture, which are also revealed in artifacts recovered from tombs. Inca archaeological sites such as the Old Temple at Chavin de Huantar and the Huaca del Sol continually paint a portrait of an extremely advanced civilization, which left no written record of its history. Ancient Incaincludes an interview with Dr. Constanza Ceruti, a high-altitude archaeologist and a National Geographic Emerging Explorer currently working in Peru.

Beth Gruber is a graduate of the New York University School of Journalism. She has worked in children's publishing for almost 20 years as an author, editor, and reviewer of books for young readers.