Chile under the Inka Empire – 2009
Presentation
This was the most recent temporary exhibit in the Museum’s 30-year history. It explored the period of Inka rule in Chilean territory while communicating the message that our nation was built through the collective effort of all those who came through the ages to this long, narrow strip of land between the mountains and the sea, including Inka people and the other cultural groups that accompanied them in their conquest. In a certain sense, the exhibit brought the Inka back to Central Chile after a 480-year absence.
The exhibit was mounted in the Museum’s Andes and Furman galleries and included a display of Inka artifacts brought from Peru for the occasion, an enormous map showing the extent of Inka occupation in Chilean territory, photographs of Inka provincial architecture in Chile, displays of stylistic variations in Inka ceramics from Arica and Rancagua, and a series of other aspects such as rock art, metallurgy and textile-making. In all, it offered a comprehensive view of this important episode in the prehistory of Chile.