Latin America Unit Lecture 3

1. 51
The Incan Empire #3
54

2. 52
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

3. 53
Incan Farmers
•Among the most
prosperous farmland in
the world (Andes Mtns)
•Advanced techniques
such as using fertilizer,
terraced farming and
irrigation systems

4. 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

5. 55
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

6. Incan Mummies

7. 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

8. 58
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

9. 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

10. Paper cannot pass through the rocks

11. The Inca