A woman offers coca leaf to a visitor; scenes such
as these are still common in the Andes. Guaman
Poma de Ayala, Felipe. El primer nueva corónica
y buen gobierno. Edited by John V. Murra and
Rolena Adorno, 811/865. Mexico City: Siglo
Veintiuno, 1980 [1615].Coca’s economic and political importance cannot be separated from its crucial
role in Inca religion. The precious leaf was offered not only to other people, but
to deities as well. Inca society was organized around sacred places (huacas) of
various sorts, including heroes turned into stone, ancestral origin places, tombs
of mummified forebears, and prominent landmarks. In Cuzco, the imperial
capital, priests tended temples dedicated to the Sun, the Moon, Lightning, and
the mummies of deceased emperors; while throughout the empire, ethnic
communities paid homage to their own local huacas and ancestors (see Deities;
Religion). To maintain positive relationships with these powerful entities, it was