Primary Sources

Chronicles of the Incas, 1540

Pedro de Cieza de Léon

In 1535, Spanish conquistador Pedro de Cieza de Léon arrived in South America. Although he was a professional soldier and took part in the Spanish conquest, he developed an interest in the people and cultures of the region. He wrote his impressions and personal experiences in a book which became known as the Chronicles of the Incas. Since the Incas had no written records at the time of the conquest, we depend on conquistador accounts such as Cieza's for insight into the Inca civilization.

