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The Incan Empire #3

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Incan Empire: 1463 - 1532

•The Incan Empire stretched across what is today: Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Chile

•The wealthiest of the three major Meso-American empires.

•At its peak reached a population of 9 million and stretched 2,500 miles

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Incan Farmers

•Among the most prosperous farmland in the world (Andes Mtns)

•Advanced techniques such as using fertilizer, terraced farming and irrigation systems

The Incas cultivated over 100 types of potatoes

The potato would revolutionize Western Europe

Potatoes can grow in rocky or low nutrient soil such as Britain, Ireland or Eastern Europe

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Religion• Polytheistic

–Most important was the Sun God –Temple of the Sun in Cuzco was the most religious site.

–Gold was very important –Children used for sacrifice (fattened up before killed)

• Mummification - the Incas used mummification as a method to preserve the dead –Did not have pyramid shaped temples

Incan Mummies

Incan Government

•Emperor who ruled over everything. –Nobles and priests would provide guidance

•The Emperor would assign different priests or nobles to oversee different aspects of the empire such as gold mining, agriculture, job placement and the military.

•All land was owned by the Emperor/King so peasants paid taxes on the land they were assigned to farm on. –Similar to Ancient Egyptians

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Incan Military

•Military technology was primitive at best. –Weapons: Clubs, slings, some bronze knives, some gold plated armor, and axes.

–Incan military divided warriors into specialized groups: clubs = infantry; sling = artillery

•No access to Iron, Obsidian, or knowledge of archery

Incan Advancements

•Quipu - a series of small strings with knots tied on it to use for counting. (think abacus)

•Road system - system of excavated, paved roads that connected the empire by using a series of runners as message bearers. –chasqui = runner

Paper cannot pass through the rocks

The Inca