Ecuador seeks answer to riddle of Inca emperor's tomb

The mystery surrounding the tomb of the last Inca emperor - and its reputed treasure - might be closer to being solved.

If Ecuadorean historian Tamara Estupinan is right, Emperor Atahualpa’s mummified body was kept in the lush, hilly lowlands, a six-hour drive south-west of Ecuador’s capital city, Quito.

While it is still too early to confirm Ms Estupinan’s theory, this discovery could shed light on a tumultuous historical period that marked the beginning of the Spanish colonial era in the Americas.

At its height, in the early 1500s, the Inca empire covered most of the Andes, from southern Colombia to central Chile as well as some parts of Argentina.

Inca emperors were mummified because it was believed that their powers remained within their bodies, which were guarded by guards and family members. Read more.