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The Inca timeline can be traced back to 1200 A.D., at which point the Inca tribe moved into the Cusco region. The Empire began its rapid expansion in the late 1430s; the Incas would dominate South America for the next century, pushing their boundaries ever further across the continent. However, this swift rise to power would be snuffed out by an even swifter fall.

Early Period Timeline – Inca Tribe & the Cusco Valley The Inca tribe emerged in the Late Intermediate period of Peruvian archeological history. The Inca civilization was a relatively small tribe of the Peruvian altiplano (highlands) before rising to become the largest empire in pre-Columbian America.

• 900 to 1200 A.D. – The Killke culture occupies the Cusco valley region.
• 1150 to 1200 – The Inca tribe settles in the Cusco region.
• c.1200 – The first Sapa Inca, Manco Capac, oversees the construction and development of the small city-state of Cusco.
• 1200 to 1400 – The Incas maintain a tribal boundary within the Cusco valley but do not aggressively expand their territory.

Expansion of the Inca Empire By the early 1400s, the Incas had absorbed or defeated various rival tribes within the Cusco region. They struck up a tactical alliance with the Lupaca, a relatively powerful society from the Lake Titicaca region. This alliance helped to guard against attacks from the south-east. However, it was an attack from the north that would ultimately change the course of the Inca Empire.