Inka space and culture
In his Nueva coronica y buen gobierno, circa 1615, Guaman Poma dedicates an entire chapter to the cities and towns of the Inka Empire - including beautiful drawings and maps.
My favourites include The town of Oropesa de Huancavelica, “mercury mines where Indians endure great hardships,” The city of Arequipa, “covered in ash following the eruption of its volcano,” The rich imperial town of Potosi, “where the crown and the church are defended by the Inka and his four kings,” and The city of Huanuco, “falcon and royal lion, waman puma.”
The city of Cuzco, “principal city and royal court of the twelve Inka kings of this realm, and bishopric of the church” - or more specifically the central open space - was the subject of my Masters thesis. I was always fascinated by the Spaniards’ desire to impose a stable grid on Inka settlements - thereby appropriating them into the European tradition of cities and disrupting the spatial practices of the conquered Indians.
I keep meaning to roll out something publishable (one day I’ll even write a paper about all the maps of Cuzco that have been drawn over time) but for now you can read excerpts that discuss Inka settlement planning and related aspects of ancient Andean space and culture.