Incans

Inca’s Physical Environment

• Andes Mountains of South America

• Cuzco is the capital

• in modern day Peru

• deserts and fertile valleys

• hot and dry

Incan Architecture• large stone fortresses for

protection

• master builders using huge blocks of stone

• built rope bridges, roads & temples

Incan Language

• no written language • kept records using a counting

system with a base of ten. It had colored strings and knots which had special meanings (the Quipu)

Incan Leisure Activities• dance and music

• played a game with a spinning top

• played a dice game

• played sports like temple ball

Incan Scientific Knowledge

• terrace farming; grew crops on the mountain sides

• relay system for delivering messages

• Counting system with a base of ten

• System of roads

• Calendar with 12 months

Incan Religious Beliefs

• polytheists: worshipped many gods of nature

• Inti (the sun god) was the most important god

• had religious festivals to honor gods

Inti

Incan Government• Sapa Inca ruled (emperor)

• Sapa Inca put relatives in positions of power (oldest son)

• punishment was harsh so no one broke the law (pushing the offender off a cliff,

cutting off hands or blinding them)

Incan Economic Activities• Sapa Inca owned all the land

and wealth of the empire

• Farmers gave the Sapa Inca a tribute (kind of tax) by doing work for him

• Wealth of gold and silver

• Hunted llama and grew crops like corn (maize)

Incan Downfall

• Smallpox killed many of the people and weakened the empire.

• Spanish conquistadors led by Francisco Pizarro conquered the empire after they captured and killed the emperor, Atahualpa.

What else did you learn about the

Incas?