The Incas  

By: Abby S. & Abbey K.

     The Inca empire was a very unique civilization.  They lived around the Andes Mountains from about 1200 to 1535 A.D.  The Inca were talented in many ways.  They were excellent at art and architecture.  They were weavers and they made pottery with multi-colored geometrical patterns.

          

Language

 

     The language which the Incas spoke was Quechua.  All the people they conquered were forced to speak this language.

 

  Customs/Religion/Folklore

 

     The Incas worshiped many gods and goddesses and believed that royal families were direct descendants of the first emperor, Manco Capac. His sister, Mama Occlo Huaco was his wife. Emperors always married their sister. They believed that their kids needed to be pure blood descendants of the sun god, Inti. Sacrifices were an essential part of most Incan rituals and ceremonies. Most sacrifices consisted of guinea pigs or llamas, but in times of disaster, or at a special ritual, a sacrifice may consist of a woman or child.

Inti Raymi, the "Feast of the Sun"

 

Food

 

     Food in the Andes was grown on terrace farms. Corn, potatoes, tomatoes, cotton, peanuts, and cocoa were grown.  Llamas were raised for food and traveling. The Incas invented freeze-drying. This was done by putting the food outside at night, and in the morning, the water would evaporate.  Livestock and plants were used as food for the Incas.  A mild alcoholic beverage called Chica was served at meals.

 

Art

 

     The Inca craftsmen in the Andes were experts at building stone walls and making silver alpacas.  They made pottery with geometric designs painted in red, yellow, white, black, and brown.  They used alpaca, llama, and vicuna wool and cotton to weave beautiful textiles.  The Inca were famous for the ideas and materials they used for building. They used big stones that weighed a ton.

 

Left: silver alpaca       Right: an example of their building style

 

 

 

Childhood and Family Life

 

     Society shaped the Incas family life. The upper class consisted of people who worked out and had a lot of power.  The emperor and his family, nobles, the high priest, and the commander of the army were the people that had a lot of power. The next group of Inca society were ordinary priests, architects, and substitute commanders of the army.  The two last classes included artisans, herders, farmers, and the captains of  the army.  Parents always gave their children something to do.  They helped with the chores and jobs.  Boys and girls weren't considered adults until they were married and could pay taxes.

 

    Warriors

 

     Every Inca man was required to be trained for the military. Upper class men used bronze axes. Other Inca men wore a helmet, a padded jacket, and a shield. They also carried a spear and a mace and sling. They were forceful and ferocious. They conquered many people and had a large empire.

 

This is an Inca shield made of

cane and reeds.

 

                                   The Downfall

 

     Francisco Pizarro and Spanish conquistadors were exploring south of Panama and reached the Inca territory by 1526. They saw that it was wealthy with great treasure. They went back to Spain and got permission to conquer the Incas. When the Spanish returned to Peru in 1532, there was already unrest among the Incas. Small pox was spreading, 2 half brothers were fighting for the throne, and newly conquered territories weren't settling in. The empire was weak.

     Pizarro had 180 men, 27 horses, and 1 cannon. He usually talked his way out of trouble. He told the new Inca ruler to convert to Christianity. Some people say that Atahualpa (Inca ruler) was handed a Bible and he threw it on the ground. The Spanish took this as a sign for war. They attacked and captured Atahualpa. He made a deal with the Spanish that if they set him free, he would fill the room he was in with gold and twice as much as silver. He gave them the treasures, but they didn't free him. They killed Atahualpa in 1533. The Incas and the Spanish still fought, and the Incas retreated to the mountains for 36 years. Then, the Spanish killed their last ruler, which ended the empire.

 

Remains

 

     One of the Inca rulers built a city on the mountain called Machu Picchu in the 15th century. It is located deep in the Amazon jungle and halfway up the Andes plateau. The Incas most likely abandoned it because of small pox outbreak. For 3 centuries, no one knew it existed until Hiram Bingham rediscovered it in 1911. It still stands today.

 

Machu Picchu

 

 

 

Links 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/latinamerica/south/cultures/inca.html

http://enloehs.wcpss.net/projects/candc/merg/ememerg7/ememerg7.html

http:/library.thinkquest.org/5058/incaart.htm

http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CIVAMRCA/INCAS.HTM 

 

Sources

 

"Inca Civilization". 4/21/2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca>.

"Inca". 4/21/2009. <http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/latinamerica/south/cultures/inca.html>.

Emily, Eunice, and MeLena. "The Religion of the Incas". 4/21/2009. <http://www.enloehs.wcpss.net/projects/candc/merg/ememerg7/ememerg7.html>.

"Inca Art". 4/21/2009. <http://library.thinkquest.org/5058/incaart.htm>.

Hooker, Richard. "Incas". 4/21/2009. <http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CIVAMRCA/INCAS.HTM>.

 

 

 

     Thank You!