Episodes

  • The Inca's Mitmaq: Forced Resettlement and Empire Building

    The Inca's Mitmaq: Forced Resettlement and Empire Building
    Jul 4 2026
    In this episode of Machu Picchu: The Lost City of the Inca Explained, Lucas and Luna explore the Inca policy of mitmaq — the forced resettlement of conquered peoples across the empire. From the Chachapoya warriors moved to Cusco to the mitmaq colonists who built terraces and irrigation canals, this practice was central to Inca control. Learn how the Sapa Inca used human relocation to break rebellions, spread Quechua, and intensify agriculture. The conversation covers archaeological evidence from sites like Huánuco Pampa and the debate over whether mitmaq was oppressive or pragmatic. Specific examples include the Cañari resettled from Ecuador, the mitmaq in Cochabamba's maize fields, and the Qhapaq Ñan's role in moving populations. The episode also touches on the legacy of mitmaq after the Spanish conquest, when many mitmaq communities remained distinct. Tune in for a close look at an often-overlooked pillar of Inca statecraft. #Mitmaq #IncaEmpire #Tawantinsuyu #ForcedResettlement #Chachapoya #Cañari #HuánucoPampa #Cochabamba #QhapaqÑan #SapaInca #Pachacuti #HuaynaCapac #Andes #Archaeology #History #FexingoHistory #MachuPicchu #IncaStatecraft Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    10 mins
  • The Inca's Quipu: Writing Without Words

    The Inca's Quipu: Writing Without Words
    Jul 4 2026
    How do you run an empire without a written language? The Inca developed the quipu, a system of knotted cords that encoded census data, tax records, and even historical narratives. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how quipus worked, the specialized accountants called khipukamayuq who created and read them, and the colonial-era persecution that destroyed most of these records. They discuss the famous disputed quipu from the 1920s that some claim contains a hidden message, the ongoing efforts to decode non-numerical quipus, and what these colorful cords reveal about Inca administration and memory. Specifics include the use of colored cotton and llama wool, decimal positional notation, the role of quipus in the Qhapaq Ñan relay system, and the 2005 discovery of a quipu in a pre-Inca Wari context. The episode also touches on the Spanish extirpation campaigns and the few surviving quipus held in museums today. #IncaEmpire #Quipu #Khipukamayuq #Andes #Pachacuti #Tawantinsuyu #QhapaqÑan #Cusco #ColonialPeru #Wari #DecimalSystem #KnottedCords #IncaAdministration #LostRecords #History #FexingoHistory #MachuPicchu #IndigenousKnowledge Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 mins
  • Yanaconas: The Inca's Estate Workers Who Outlived the Empire

    Yanaconas: The Inca's Estate Workers Who Outlived the Empire
    Jul 3 2026
    This episode of Fexingo History explores the yanaconas — a class of lifetime retainers in the Inca Empire who served the Sapa Inca and nobility. Unlike the mit'a labor draft that rotated commoners, yanaconas were permanently attached to estates, often taken from conquered peoples like the Chachapoya or Cañari. We trace their origins under Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, their role in running Machu Picchu as a royal estate, and their surprising survival after the Spanish conquest — they became encomienda foremen and even accompanied conquistadors. We also discuss the evidence from early colonial records by Juan de Betanzos and Pedro Cieza de León, and how the yanacona system blurred the line between servitude and privilege. If you've ever wondered who actually built and maintained the empire's wonders, this episode fills in the missing workforce. #Yanacona #Inca #Tawantinsuyu #MachuPicchu #Pachacuti #MitA #Chachapoya #Cañari #JuanDeBetanzos #PedroCiezaDeLeón #SplitInheritance #QhapaqÑan #Andes #Peru #History #FexingoHistory #IncaEmpire #LaborHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    10 mins
  • Machu Picchu's Llama Caravans: Inca Trade on the High Andes

    Machu Picchu's Llama Caravans: Inca Trade on the High Andes
    Jul 3 2026
    Lucas and Luna explore the vital role of llama caravans in the Inca Empire, focusing on how these animals enabled trade, transport, and communication across the rugged Andes. They discuss the domesticated llama and alpaca, the ch'arki (dried meat) trade, the importance of coca and maize from lower elevations, and the Qhapaq Ñan as a trade route. The episode highlights the organization of caravans by ayllus, the use of quipus for record-keeping, and the impact of Spanish conquest on these networks. Specific terms include llamas, alpacas, ch'arki, coca, maize, ayllu, quipu, and Qhapaq Ñan. #IncaEmpire #LlamaCaravans #AndeanTrade #QhapaqÑan #Charki #Coca #Maize #Ayllu #Quipu #MachuPicchu #Andes #IndigenousTrade #PreColumbian #History #FexingoHistory #Llamas #Alpacas #IncaEconomy Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 mins
  • Coca: The Sacred Leaf That Fueled the Inca Empire

    Coca: The Sacred Leaf That Fueled the Inca Empire
    Jul 2 2026
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the cultural, economic, and spiritual significance of coca leaves in Tawantinsuyu. They discuss how coca was used in rituals to Inti and Pachamama, as a form of currency, and as a stimulant for mit'a laborers working at high altitudes. The conversation covers the role of coca in capacocha sacrifices, its regulation by the Sapa Inca, and the Spanish crackdown under the extirpation of idolatry. They also touch on how coca chewing (acullico) was woven into daily life and how modern coca tea connects to this heritage. The episode avoids repeating topics from prior episodes like quipu, civil war, or Machu Picchu's engineering. #Coca #Tawantinsuyu #Inca #Inti #Pachamama #Acullico #Mit'a #Capacocha #SapaInca #ExtirpationOfIdolatry #HuaynaCapac #Pachacuti #Andes #SacredLeaf #CocaChewing #History #FexingoHistory #IndigenousKnowledge Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 mins
  • The Inca's Anti-Seismic Architecture: Machu Picchu's Earthquake-Proof Walls

    The Inca's Anti-Seismic Architecture: Machu Picchu's Earthquake-Proof Walls
    Jul 1 2026
    In this episode of Machu Picchu: The Lost City of the Inca Explained, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable earthquake-resistant engineering of Inca stonework. They explain how the Inca used trapezoidal shapes, mortarless joints, and foundations that allow walls to "dance" during tremors. Specific examples include the twelve-angled stone in Cusco and the walls of Sacsayhuamán. The discussion covers how the Inca adapted their building techniques after a catastrophic earthquake around 1450 CE, and how modern engineers have studied these structures to understand their seismic resilience. The hosts also touch on the role of the mit'a labor system in mobilizing thousands of workers for these projects. This episode builds on prior shows about Inca engineering but focuses specifically on the anti-seismic principles embedded in their architecture — a topic not yet covered in the series. #IncaArchitecture #MachuPicchu #SeismicEngineering #EarthquakeProof #IncaStonework #Sacsayhuaman #Cusco #PachacutiIncaYupanqui #MitA #Tawantinsuyu #Andes #TrapezoidalDoors #TwelveAngledStone #QhapaqÑan #Rumiqolqa #Inti #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 mins
  • Machu Picchu's Abandonment: Why the Inca Left Their Citadel

    Machu Picchu's Abandonment: Why the Inca Left Their Citadel
    Jul 1 2026
    Why would the Inca abandon Machu Picchu, their most breathtaking mountain citadel? In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the puzzle of Machu Picchu's abandonment, decades before the Spanish ever reached its gates. They examine evidence from the Spanish chronicler Juan de Betanzos, the quipu records, and modern archaeological surveys to understand the chain of events: the devastating smallpox epidemic that swept through Tawantinsuyu under Huayna Capac, the ensuing civil war between Huáscar and Atahualpa, and the collapse of the imperial system that had sustained the royal estate. They discuss how the aclla, the 'chosen women,' were evacuated, how the Qhapaq Ñan fell silent, and how the city's inhabitants simply melted away into the Vilcabamba region. Along the way, they reflect on what it means for a place to be 'lost' — not in the jungle, but in memory. Specifics include the role of the Chachapoya conscripts, the fate of the yanacona retainers, and the 1911 rediscovery by Hiram Bingham. The episode ends with a quiet question about what else might still be hidden in the Andes. #MachuPicchu #Inca #Tawantinsuyu #HuaynaCapac #Atahualpa #Huáscar #Smallpox #Abandonment #QhapaqÑan #Quipu #Vilcabamba #Andes #Archaeology #HiramBingham #Peru #History #FexingoHistory #LostCity Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 mins
  • The Chachapoya: Warriors of the Clouds Who Fought the Inca

    The Chachapoya: Warriors of the Clouds Who Fought the Inca
    Jun 30 2026
    Deep in the cloud forests of northern Peru, a pale-skinned, blue-eyed people built cliffside tombs and fiercely resisted Inca expansion. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Chachapoya culture — their mausoleums at Karajía, the fortress of Kuelap, and their uneasy alliance with the Spanish. Discover how a society that mummified its dead and fought with slings and macanas ended up as mercenaries in the Spanish conquest, only to be erased by smallpox. A story of resilience, betrayal, and the cost of independence. #Chachapoya #CloudWarriors #Kuelap #Karajía #Inca #Tawantinsuyu #HuaynaCapac #Pachacuti #SpanishConquest #Peru #Andes #Mummies #Sarcophagi #Smallpox #PreColumbian #IndigenousHistory #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 mins