The Inka Museum In Cusco, Peru

Located up a side street in Cusco’s historic district sits a 17th century building called Casa del Almirante. The mansion was originally the estate home of Spanish Admiral Francisco Alderete Maldonado. The Inca Museum (Museo Inka) is located inside. The estate was built on the foundations of Inca buildings that were part of Tahuantinsuyo Inca Empire, under the rule the Inca Huascar.

Easy to find it is located on Cuesta del Almirante, 103, in Cusco, a short walk up from Plaza de Armas to Plaza Nazarenas.The Inka Museum is state-owned and managed by Cusco’s San Antonio Abad University.

It is home to one of the best collections of artifacts from the Inca era but also contains artifacts from pre-Inca civilizations as well. Interestingly it also has exhibits demonstrating how Inca culture was impacted by the Spanish conquest and the changes colonial times had on the Inca ruling class and cultures. The largest area offers rooms of Inca jewelry, ceramics, textiles, vases and even furniture. The museum’s most notable items are contained in the world’s largest collection of queros, ceremonial Inca wooden drinking vessels along with a number of Inca mummies.

The museum’s collection also features exhibits of pre-Inca native cultures that include:

The Chavín Culture was one of the most important of the pre-Inca cultures in the region. Dating from 1200 BC to 200 BC, its centers of worship were noted for the architecture along with the design of its terraces and plazas, surrounded by impressive carved stones.

The Marcavalle Culture, which flourished around 1000 B.C., was actually centered in Cusco at the same time the Chavin culture ruled outer Ica regions.

The Nazca Civilization flourished on the southern coast of Peru between 200 B.C. and 600 C.E. They settled in the Nazca region and other surrounding valleys and are principally known for the giant Nazca drawings.

The Wari, also known as Huari, were the first culture to use military force to conquer surrounding civilizations, they soon reigned over much of the highlands and coast of modern Peru. The Wari culture dated from about 500 to 1000 A.D.