Notes

Between 1200 and 1535 A.D., the Incas ruled an empire that covered much of the western coast of South America. Most of their empire stretched through the world’s longest mountain range, the Andes. The Incan Empire included parts of what are now the countries of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. The empire reached its peak in the fifteenth century. It was conquered by the Spanish in 1532.

Cuzco was the capital city of the Incan Empire. Cuzco means “navel” or “center,” and was the center of the empire. The city was laid out in the shape of a puma, which symbolized strength and power. Only the emperor, royalty, and nobility were allowed to live in Cuzco. The Incan Empire appears in red in the map on this screen. Cuzco appears as a yellow dot.

The Incas were ruled by members of a royal dynasty. The title given to the ruler of the Incan people was Sapa Inca. He was not only the leader of the military, but also the high priest. The Sapa Inca was set apart from the rest of the Incas. He wore new clothes every day and was carried on a gold litter. His arrival was always announced in advance, but regular citizens were not allowed to look at him. The Sapa Inca made all of the important decisions. He and other priests in the government decided such things as when crops were planted and when to go to war. The Sapa Inca had total power.

It seems that life in the Andes Mountains would have been very hard. However, the Incas made it look easy. They were able to farm the land, domesticate wild animals, and build an enormous system of roads to connect their huge empire. They did all this without modern technology!

Most of the Incas were farmers. Incan farmers grew tomatoes, corn, and peanuts. They were the first to grow potatoes, which were the most important foods in the Incan diet. The Incas were able to farm on the mountainsides by using terrace farming methods. Terraces were built to create a flat area of land and also to prevent erosion. The Incas brought water to the dry valleys by using irrigation.

The Incas domesticated the llama and the alpaca. Because the Incas lived in the Andes Mountains, llamas and alpacas were very helpful. The Incas used llamas and alpacas to carry heavy loads across the mountains. The Incas made clothing from llama and alpaca wool. These animals were also a source of food.

To connect the territories conquered by their large army, and to unite their empire, the Incas built a huge network of roads. Thousands of miles of these roads were built by cutting right through the rocks of the Andes Mountains.