Product Details

• Format: NTSC
• Rated: Unrated
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Pbs Home Video
• VHS Release Date: June 17, 1997
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00000FEL5
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #329,441 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Ho Hum, May 28, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Incas [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I bought this to learn more about the Incas and the history of Peru during the period when their civilization flourished. Instead, this plodding documentary focused more on archaeological findings -- lots of information about pottery and woven cloth. Those interested in this aspect of Peruvian history should find this worthwhile. For those wishing to learn more broadly about Incan civilization and its history, you're better off watching the newly released "Conquistadors" with Michael Woods.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An account of an efficient, ancient government, January 3, 2005

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Incas [VHS] (VHS Tape)

While watching this video, I could not help wondering how the Spanish were able to conquer the Incan Empire. Thousands of miles from home and in an environment they were totally unaccustomed to, an army of a few hundred Spaniards was able to take control of an empire that once had over six million people. The common opinion that I have encountered is that the empire was falling apart, it was so large that it was not possible for a central authority to maintain control. However, from the information on this tape, that explanation seems weak.
For the Incan Empire was most likely the most organized society in the world at that time. They built over 11,000 miles of roads, more than that built by the Roman Empire or the Chinese. To make it even more impressive, the roads built by the Incas were over much more difficult terrain. The Andes Mountains are much more rugged than anything found in Europe and some sections are a series of over 1,000 steps hewed out of the mountain. Their communication system was so efficient that they could transmit a message from one end of the empire to the other in less than a week. While some waterways could be used to send messages this fast, it was not possible to send messages over land this fast until centuries later.
To make this building even more amazing is that this system of roads was built over a short period of time. In terms of the amount of construction that was done, this road system may be the largest engineering project ever done without machinery. Much is said about the Great Wall of China, but the Inca system is larger. The Incas also created a series of way stations along their roads that were relatively small and kept well stocked with supplies. As the scientist studying the Incas notes, this society could not have been kept together without a high degree of organization in food production.
The Inca Empire was probably the most organized governmental structure that existed until technology made it possible for the rapid movement of information and freight. That is a conclusion that you cannot fail to make from watching this tape. It has motivated me to investigate the reasons why it collapsed so easily.

4.0 out of 5 stars A somewhat dated but interesting look at the Inca from the bottom up, June 25, 2006

By 

Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Incas [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Released by PBS, this 1980 BBC documentary about The Incas is somewhat dated, and it was never the kind of video that would truly appeal to those with a casual fascination with Inca culture. This documentary doesn't really tell you who the Inca were, where they came from, or how they were ultimately defeated, nor does it allude to very many of the people's scientific accomplishments. This program is primarily focused on the anthropological/archaeological study of how the typical Inca lived and how the society was organized and administered. Granted, that's a pretty fascinating concept in and of itself, as you don't find any other cultures in world history who thrived at such a high elevation as that of the Andes range - but it's not what the casual viewer is probably looking for.

The Inca were masters of administration. Over the course of a century, their numbers exploded from the thousands to some six million people, but the society continued to thrive up until the time of the Conquest. How did this huge society, spread over hundreds of miles of diverse, oftentimes isolated territories, ranging from the coasts of western South America to the highest ranges of the Andes mountains, maintain itself so impressively? That's one of the main questions this video addresses. It's a story of adaptation and administrative genius. Some of the resources, such as an impressive network of roads, were already there when the Inca arrived on the scene, but they improved them and made them remarkably efficient for themselves. In time, some eleven thousand miles of roads linked all sections of the Inca empire together. Administrative centers and warehouses literally dotted the roadways, guaranteeing any traveler a place to stay and food to eat every night of his journey. By exploiting the generally harsh, high-atmosphere environment, the people learned to essentially freeze-dry the main components of their food supply, which allowed them to build enormous stores to fall back on in lean years. We gain some insight into Inca agriculture and the importance of pottery, but, most surprisingly, we learn about the diverse uses - including political, military, and economic ones - of textiles, whose development and use by the Inca actually predates the appearance of pottery.

Of course, someone had to do all this labor, but the Inca had this all figured out. Runners were used at each administrative center to spread important news all across the empire quickly. Taxation was paid in personal labor, with local leaders overseeing a rotating supply of state workers and designating their assignments, thereby meeting local needs as well as providing for the needs of the empire as a whole. This amazingly efficient administrative system is what allowed the Inca to build incredible cities such as those in Machu Picchu and Cuzco.

As you can see, the video packs a lot of important information into its 58-minute runtime - but it does not include the type of sensationalist information some viewers will be looking for. This is basically a look at Inca society from the bottom up, whereas most such documentaries take the opposite approach and oftentimes dwell in titillating speculation rather than facts. This video is built on those hard, dry facts that the more modern New Age-oriented treatments of Inca science and mysteries care little about.