reference to the abundance of gold and silver which existed during the realm of the Incas, the rulers of a vastempire in South America from the 11th century to the early 1500s. During the Incan empire, the use of gold and silver were reserved for the emperor (called the Inca, absolute ruler and thought of as a god), the temples and the upper nobility. These extensive gold and silver deposits became a target of the Spanish imperial ambitions during the early 16th century. —PDC 2 Approved Glossary