TAWANTINSUYU ROOM The former Inka Room had not had any major changes since it was remodeled in 1997. More than six years later, it was apparent a radical change was needed in the script and in the museographic display, with a view of offering visitors a different vision of that time. The political, social and economic plan of Tawantinsuyu is shown, one of the most organized societies in prehispanic Peruvian history, which after unifying one of the most extensive territories of the Andean area, devised imperial features. Among the main attractions is found the maquette of Machu Picchu, a scale model elaborated by Luis Ccosi   Salas in the 1940s and recently restored by José Salazar, the museum scale modeler. It was designed to be looked down upon from above, something that could not be done in the setting in which it was displayed for almost 30 years; now there is a viewing platform which gives a panoramic view of the citadel. At the touch of a button on the control panel, a laser beam from the ceiling will illuminate a site on the model and simultaneously light up a photograph of the site selected. There is also a scale model of the temple of Coricancha with a similar system with the additional feature of an audio explanation. The explanatory panels with texts in Spanish and English are complemented with exhibition cases showing the best of the collection of Inca ceramics, organic material, textiles, lithics and metals. An important complement to this room is the recreation of the "ransom room" which demonstrates, using replicas of gold and silver objects, the different perception of wealth of, on the one hand, a people for whom man power was the principal patrimony - such as the Andean world - and, on the other, of a people to whom precious metals stood for true wealth. The well-known story of the ransom offered to the Spanish for the liberation of the Inka Atahualpa is shown with lighting effects and explanatory audio to enhance the scene. Care has been taken that the museographic resources do not compete with what is exhibited, but are rather simply instruments to facilitate making more information accessible to a wide public, especially schoolchildren, which is the largest portion of our public; but also so that everyone who visits this exhibition, of whatever age or place of origin carries away with him or her a clear idea of the extraordinary organization developed by Tawantinsuyu. Some interactive contemporary museum touches distinguish this exhibition.