Ancient Civilizations South American Incas

Inca

Cuzco Cuzco was an important city for the Inca The Inca’s farmed this area and demanded tributes from other people living there

Building an Empire The Inca army was strong and conquered many new areas Emperor Pachakuti was in charge of the new lands People in the new lands were required to work for the government Men built roads and raised crops Women made cloth Conquered people were forced to worship the Inca god and provide offerings, however they could worship their own gods too.

Children of the Sun The Inca called themselves the “Children of the Sun” The emperor and wealthy nobles wore special headbands and earrings The Inca were skilled at building with stone and at farming Workers and farmers lived outside Cuzco in small mud huts with high windows Cuzco was the center of: Governement Religion Trade

Inca Agriculture Each year the Inca emperor would plow a field with a plow made of pure gold Agriculture was extremely important to these people Farmers grew: Potatoes Maize Peppers Terraces were built to adapt to the geography around them. Terraces are level platforms of earth that climbed each hill like a staircase. Aqueducts and canals brought water to the crops.

Terrace

Animals Llamas were used for carrying items to be traded with others The best wool came from wild sheep- only the nobles could wear it Deer were hunted for food and clothing

Roads A huge network of roads kept the Inca connected More than 19,000 miles of roads were constructed Runners were used to relay/carry messages to other areas of the empire

Machu Picchu Located at the top of a mountain Nobody knows why it was constructed “City in the Clouds”