This is an essay which attempts to outline the meaning and importance of Inca roads over time in the Andes, from the heyday of Tawantinsuyu until present times. We part from field and gabinet work experience under Qhapaq Ñan Project, between 2009 and 2011. Based on archaeological records achieved between Huánuco Pampa and Huamachuco in the Chinchaysuyu route, we describe some features of the architectural infrastructure, the variability and the functionality of roads and settlements that form the road network, as well as its relationship with the different spanning landscapes, considering the pragmatic and symbolic perspective that conditioned its implementation. Similarly, the anthropological study of contemporary Andean peoples bordering the Qhapaq Ñan, in their socio-economic and cultural features, demonstrates the validity of the Inca trails in modern times, providing guidelines f...

The inscription of the Qhapaq Ñan - Andean Road System in the World Heritage List is the result of a coordinated effort between six Andean countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru. The major events of this process are described, as well as the methodological aspects and criteria that were adopted. Furthermore, the Qhapaq Ñan is characterized on a basis of archaeological and anthropological records, outlining the extent and significance of this prehispanic monument. Then, we discuss the implications of the newly inaugurated and World Heritage-acknowledged phase. Specifically, regarding the case of Peru, we assert to the importance of consolidating a management system of the Qhapaq Ñan, through permanent international coordination which incorporates the active participation of local populations, seeking to maximize social benefits, minimize negative impacts and a...

La inscripción del Qhapaq Ñan – Sistema Vial Andino, en la Lista del Patrimonio Mundial es el resultado de un esfuerzo coordinado entre seis países andinos Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador y Perú. Se describen los principales eventos de ese proceso, bien como los aspectos metodológicos y criterios adoptados. En seguida, se caracteriza al Qhapaq Ñan a partir de los registros arqueológicos y antropológicos, delineando la magnitud y transcendencia de este monumento prehispánico. Luego, se abordan las implicancias de esta nueva etapa que se inaugura con su reconocimiento como Patrimonio Mundial.