Andean civilizations
The Andean civilizations were a patchwork of different cultures and peoples that mainly developed in the coastal deserts of Peru. They stretched from the Andes of Colombia southward down the Andes to northern Argentina and Chile. Archaeologists believe that Andean civilizations f…
Full Answer
What was the center of the Inca Empire?
The administrative, political and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The Inca civilization arose from the Peruvian highlands sometime in the early 13th century.
Why did the Inca Empire grow so quickly?
It was a prominent force in bringing people of different ethnicities together and making them feel like part of a big empire. Thus, by using such methods, the Inca grew rapidly and established the largest empire within a span of hundred years. The downfall of the Inca Empire began with the Spanish arrival.
Where did the Incas settle in South America?
The Inca, led by Manco Capac, migrate to the Cuzco Valley and establish their capital at Cuzco. The Inca Empire flourishes in South America. Viracocha Inca begins to build the Inca empire .
Why didn't the Incas have to build everything from scratch?
But the place where the Inca settled, Cusco, was located between two empires that existed earlier. These empires had already built the infrastructure needed to expand and maintain the areas under their control. So, when the Inca started expanding, they didn't have to build everything from scratch.
What was unique about the Inca settlement?
Famed for their unique art and architecture, they constructed finely-built and imposing buildings wherever they conquered, and their spectacular adaptation of natural landscapes with terracing, highways, and mountaintop settlements continues to impress modern visitors at such world-famous sites as Machu Picchu.
How did the Incas build their structures?
Inca buildings were made out of fieldstones or semi-worked stone blocks and dirt set in mortar; adobe walls were also quite common, usually laid over stone foundations.
Where did the Incas build their settlement?
The Inca established their capital at Cuzco (Peru) in the 12th century. They began their conquests in the early 15th century and within 100 years had gained control of an Andean population of about 12 million people.
How did the Inca build their structures so well what did they do?
Since the rocks were individually carved to fit tightly with the rocks next to them, carved rocks took trapezoidal shapes. Carved rock structures were constructed using rocks that were so precise and interlocking, that the Incas polished the stone surfaces and carefully measured them to ensure a strong structure.
What kind of architecture did Incas have?
Witness of great events of history, the Inca civilization had three types of architecture: civil architecture (the 12-Angled Stone), military architecture (Sacsayhuaman), and religious architecture (Koricancha). The Inca buildings were erected in rectangular spaces, using materials such as rocks and mudbricks.
What type of construction technique did the Inca use?
As for building design, the finest Inca buildings were generally one-story rectangular constructions made of perfectly-cut and fit stones, using no mortar, with wooden and thatched roofs. At least four categories of stone masonry are known.
What did Inca houses look like?
The most common type of Inca house was rectangular with a thatched roof, and usually had just one room. The walls were usually made from stone or adobe (a claylike material). The stone blocks were carved so that they fitted together perfectly, and there was no need for cement.
What influenced Inca architecture?
The Tiawanaku culture had the greatest influence in Inca architecture, the use of stone in their buildings was a legacy that the Incas continued. Tiawanaku flourished in the Altiplano of Peru and Bolivia and its development was centered around Lake Titicaca in the present department of Puno, Peru.
Why did the Inca settle in the mountains?
The Andes created a natural barrier between the coastal desert on one side and the jungle on the other. The snow-capped mountains were full of deep gorges. The Inca built bridges across the gorges so that they could reach all parts of their empire quickly and easily.
Did Incas build pyramids?
Civilizations like the Olmec, Maya, Aztec and Inca all built pyramids to house their deities, as well as to bury their kings. In many of their great city-states, temple-pyramids formed the center of public life and were the site of holy rituals, including human sacrifice.
What was remarkable about the way the Incas built a wall?
What was remarkable about the way the Incas built a wall? The Incas were skillful builders. They carved huge rocks by hand into blocks that fit together perfectly. They did not use mortar to keep the blocks together.
How did the Inca build without cement?
The most common type of Inca house was rectangular with a thatched roof, and usually had just one room. The walls were usually made from stone or adobe (a claylike material). The stone blocks were carved so that they fitted together perfectly, and there was no need for cement.
How did the Incas build temples?
The building method used by Inca architecture was straightforward. They laid the larger stones first to build a strong foundation then they built up ramps around them to facilitate the placement of the smaller stones until they finished the wall.
Why was Inca construction impressive?
A unique feature of Inca architecture is that it typically incorporated the natural landscape yet at the same time managed to dominate it to create an often spectacular blend of geometrical and natural forms.
How did the Inca shape stone?
The stone blocks are so closely matched that a knife blade cannot be inserted between them, he noted. Previously, scientists have theorized that the massive stones of Incan cities were hammered with other stones, broken with wooden or metal wedges, etched with organic acids or sanded with grains of sand and water.
What was the Inca architecture made of?
Inca architecture is widely known for its fine masonry, which features precisely cut and shaped stones closely fitted without mortar (" dry "). However, despite this fame, most Inca buildings were actually made out of fieldstone and adobe as described above. In the 1940s, American archaeologist John H. Rowe classified Inca fine masonry in two types: coursed, which features rectangular shaped stones, and polygonal, which features blocks of irregular shape. Forty years later, Peruvian architect Santiago Agurto established four subtypes by dividing the categories identified by Rowe:
How did the Incas influence the development of civilization?
Inca employment and integration of the natural environment into their architecture played an essential role in their program of civilizational expansion and cultural imperialism. Patronage of powerful elites and rulers of the Inca empire was a major impetus behind the construction of Inca structures, and much of the remaining architecture we see today was most likely royal estates or mobile capitals for Sapa Inca to inhabit. The Sapa Inca naturalized and asserted their political rule through their palaces' aesthetic appeal to a reciprocal relationship between their imperialism and the earth itself. The blended, architectural aesthetic colored their political expansion in a sense of inseparable, timeless, and spiritual authority. For example, in the royal estate of Chinchero, the Incas adapted their large-scale earthwork and massive stone construction to the land's dramatically steep valley in order to create intense, visual drama. Similarly to the architecture of other mountainous Inca citadels, such as Machu Picchu, the Chinchero estate's dynamic construction into the severe landscape demonstrated the raw, physical power of the Incas, and projected an authoritative aura for those who approached.
What is the most important architectural legacy of the Incas?
Inca architecture. Wall of the Coricancha temple, at Cuzco, the capital city of the Inca Empire. Inca architecture is the most significant pre-Columbian architecture in South America. The Incas inherited an architectural legacy from Tiwanaku, founded in the 2nd century B.C.E. in present-day Bolivia.
What was the secret to the production of fine Inca masonry?
Hyslop comments that the 'secret' to the production of fine Inca masonry “…was the social organization necessary to maintain the great numbers of people creating such energy-consuming monuments.” It is speculated that the stones were swung into place using friction to create perfectly convex and concave sides. Visible marks of facture like stone bosses were made using rope; these elements demonstrated the artistic value of labor and the power of Inca rule.
What type of stone is used in Inca masonry?
In the 1940s, American archaeologist John H. Rowe classified Inca fine masonry in two types: coursed, which features rectangular shaped stones, and polygonal, which features blocks of irregular shape.
What is the most significant pre-Columbian architecture in South America?
v. t. e. Inca architecture is the most significant pre-Columbian architecture in South America. The Incas inherited an architectural legacy from Tiwanaku, founded in the 2nd century B.C.E. in present-day Bolivia. A core characteristic of the architectural style was to use the topography and existing materials of the land as part of the design.
Where was the Inca stone masonry?
Ashlar polygonal masonry at Sacsayhuamán. According to Graziano Gasparini and Luise Margolies, Inca stonemasonry was inspired by the architecture of Tiwanaku, an archaeological site in modern Bolivia built several centuries before the Inca Empire.
How did the Inca Empire work?
The Inca Empire employed central planning. The Inca Empire traded with outside regions, although they did not operate a substantial internal market economy. While axe-monies were used along the northern coast, presumably by the provincial mindaláe trading class, most households in the empire lived in a traditional economy in which households were required to pay taxes, usually in the form of the mit'a corvée labor, and military obligations, though barter (or trueque) was present in some areas. In return, the state provided security, food in times of hardship through the supply of emergency resources, agricultural projects (e.g. aqueducts and terraces) to increase productivity and occasional feasts. While mit'a was used by the state to obtain labor, individual villages had a pre-inca system of communal work, known as mink'a. This system survives to the modern day, known as mink'a or faena. The economy rested on the material foundations of the vertical archipelago, a system of ecological complementarity in accessing resources and the cultural foundation of ayni, or reciprocal exchange.
Where was the Inca Empire located?
The Inca Empire was preceded by two large-scale empires in the Andes: the Tiwanaku (c. 300–1100 AD), based around Lake Titicaca and the Wari or Huari (c. 600–1100 AD) centered near the city of Ayacucho. The Wari occupied the Cuzco area for about 400 years.
How did the Incas defeat their opponents?
The Incas had no iron or steel and their weapons were not much more effective than those of their opponents so they often defeated opponents by sheer force of numbers , or else by persuading them to surrender beforehand by offering generous terms. Inca weaponry included "hardwood spears launched using throwers, arrows, javelins, slings, the bolas, clubs, and maces with star-shaped heads made of copper or bronze." Rolling rocks downhill onto the enemy was a common strategy, taking advantage of the hilly terrain. Fighting was sometimes accompanied by drums and trumpets made of wood, shell or bone. Armor included:
Why do the Incas chew coca leaves?
The Incas revered the coca plant as sacred/magical. Its leaves were used in moderate amounts to lessen hunger and pain during work, but were mostly used for religious and health purposes. The Spaniards took advantage of the effects of chewing coca leaves. The Chasqui, messengers who ran throughout the empire to deliver messages, chewed coca leaves for extra energy. Coca leaves were also used as an anaesthetic during surgeries.
Why was the Inca army so powerful?
The Inca army was the most powerful at that time, because any ordinary villager or farmer could be recruited as a soldier as part of the mit'a system of mandatory public service. Every able bodied male Inca of fighting age had to take part in war in some capacity at least once and to prepare for warfare again when needed. By the time the empire reached its largest size, every section of the empire contributed in setting up an army for war.
What is the Neo-Inca state?
Neo-Inca State. v. t. e. The Inca Empire ( Quechua: Tawantinsuyu, lit. "four parts together" ), also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire, was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco.
What is the Incan economy?
The Incan economy has been described in contradictory ways by scholars; Darrell E. La Lone, in his work The Inca as a Nonmarket Economy, noted that the Inca economy has been described as "feudal, slave, [and] socialist and added "here one may choose between socialist paradise or socialist tyranny.".
Where do the Inca live today?
After the Inca Empire fell, the Europeans started abusing the Inca in all ways imaginable. They enslaved, tortured, raped, and killed the Inca people mercilessly. This resulted in the deaths of thousands, if not millions of the Inca.
Why was the Inca's communication network damaged?
Moreover, due to the death of the relay runners who relayed information, Inca's communication network was severely damaged. So, it became impossible for the ruling class to tell if their territories were attacked.
What was the next class in the Inca social system?
The next class in the Inca social system was Nobility. Nobility could be achieved either by blood relations or by showing distinction in one's service to the empire. This category included high priests, the army commander, army generals, other special military members, architects, artisans, and local leaders. These people enjoyed several privileges.
How did Pachacuti expand the borders of his empire?
Pachacuti expanded the borders of his empire through both conquest and friendship. He used a simple process for this purpose.
What were the Suyu divided into?
Each Suyu was further divided into provinces called Wamani. Most of these provinces were actually tribes that had previously been conquered by the Inca. Each of these provinces, in turn, was subdivided into several factions. The smallest entity of the Tawantinsuyu was the Ayllu.
What was below the king?
Below the king was the Royalty. The king's family and his relatives formed this class of the Inca. They enjoyed all the luxuries in the kingdom and were the most respected people after the king.
Who was the Spanish leader who went to meet Atahualpa?
It was at this time that the Spanish invaders led by Francisco Pizarro went to meet Atahualpa. Atahualpa thought it was a peaceful meeting arranged by the newcomers to show their respect to the king.
Where did the Inca Empire flourish?
The Inca Empire flourishes in South America.
Who found Machu Picchu?
Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui founds Machu Picchu in the High Andes. c. 1470. The Incas conquer the Chimu civilization based at Chan Chan . 1471 - 1493. Reign of Inca Tupac Yupanqui who doubles the size of the Inca Empire . 1471 - 1493. The sacred site of Pachacamac is taken over by the Incas. 1493 - 1526.
Who defeated the Chancas?
Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui defeats the Chancas to control the Cuzco Valley and further expand the Inca empire . Pachacunti Inca Yupanqui begins a rebuilding programme in the Inca capital of Cuzco . Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui founds Machu Picchu in the High Andes. The Incas conquer the Chimu civilization based at Chan Chan .
Which city did Pizarro take?
Pizarro takes the Inca capital of Cuzco .
What did the Incas believe?
The Inca were polytheistic, which means that they believed in a great many gods and goddesses. The Inca also loved stories, many of which had to do with their gods. One of the legends the Incas loved to tell was about the founding of Cuzco, the capital of the Inca empire.
How many people lived in the Inca Empire?
At its height of development, the Inca empire was 2500 miles long, 500 miles wide, and home to 12 million people, connected by 25,000 miles of roads, many of which were paved. The Inca empire was located on the western side of South America.
What were the Andes Mountains?
Andes Mountains: The Andes Mountains, home of the Inca civilization, ran north to south. The mountains dominated Inca society. The mountain peaks were worshiped as gods. The Andes created a natural barrier between the coastal desert on one side and the jungle on the other. The snow-capped mountains were full of deep gorges. The Inca built bridges across the gorges so that they could reach all parts of their empire quickly and easily. If an enemy approached, the Inca could simply burn the bridges.
What were the cultures of Peru?
Those included the Chavín (chah-VEEN) culture in the highlands, and the Nazca, Moche (MOH-chay), and Chimú (chee-MOO) cultures on the coast.
How high is the Andes?
The Andes stretch north and south for 2500 miles and rise to an average elevation of about 13,000 feet. East of the mountains - that's to the right of the mountains on a map - is the Amazon jungle. Each of the cultures that settled the area, however, learned to adapt to their environment.
How high is the Inca city?
Ancient Inca City Located 13,000 Feet High in Peruvian Andes Revealed by Laser Technology. Researchers have uncovered fascinating new insights into an ancient mountaintop settlement high up in the Peruvian Andes, which pre-dates the famous Inca site of Machu Picchu.
When was Machu Picchu built?
Furthermore, the researchers say that this site was, in a way, a template for Machu Picchu—which was constructed in the mid-15th century. "See it as an evolution on their pathway towards Machu Picchu," Lin said. "I think it's quite an inspiring place to be.".
Overview
Inca architecture is the most significant pre-Columbian architecture in South America. The Incas inherited an architectural legacy from Tiwanaku, founded in the 2nd century B.C.E. in present-day Bolivia. A core characteristic of the architectural style was to use the topography and existing materials of the land as part of the design. The capital of the Inca empire, Cuzco, still contains many fine examples of Inca architecture, although many walls of Inca masonry have been incorp…
Characteristics
Inca buildings were made out of fieldstones or semi-worked stone blocks and dirt set in mortar; adobe walls were also quite common, usually laid over stone foundations. The material used in the Inca buildings depended on the region, for instance, in the coast they used large rectangular adobe blocks while in the Andes they used local stones. The most common shape in Inca architecture w…
Masonry and construction methods
Extraordinary manpower would have been necessary for large construction projects. The Inca Empire employed a system of tribute to the Inca government in the form of labor, called Mit'a that required all males between 15-50 to work on large public construction projects. Hyslop comments that the 'secret' to the production of fine Inca masonry “…was the social organization necessary to m…
Symbolism and patronage
Inca architecture is strongly characterized by its use of the natural environment. The Inca managed to seamlessly merge their architecture into the surrounding land and its specificities. At its peak, the Inca Empire spanned from Ecuador to Chile. Yet despite geographic variances, Inca architecture remained consistent in its ability to visually blend the built and natural environment.
See also
• Suspension bridge
• Inca rope bridge
Notes
1. ^ Dean, Carolyn (September 2007). "The Inka Married the Earth: Integrated Outcrops and the Making of Place". The Art Bulletin. 89 (3): 502–518. doi:10.1080/00043079.2007.10786358. JSTOR 25067338. S2CID 194099969.
2. ^ Hyslop, Inka settlement, pp. 11–12.
3. ^ Vergara, Teresa, “Arte y Cultura del Tahuantinsuyo”, p.317
External links
• Peru Cultural Society – Inca Architecture
• Nair, Stella (2007). "Witnessing the In-visibility of Inca Architecture in Colonial Peru". Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum. 14 (1): 50–65. doi:10.1353/bdl.2007.0006. S2CID 162206707. Project MUSE 228207.
Overview
The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called Tawantinsuyu by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The Inca civilization arose from the Peruvian highlands sometime in the early 13th century. The Spanish began the conquest of the Inca Empire in 1532 and its last stronghold was conquered in …
Etymology
The Inca referred to their empire as Tawantinsuyu, "the four suyu". In Quechua, tawa is four and -ntin is a suffix naming a group, so that a tawantin is a quartet, a group of four things taken together, in this case the four suyu ("regions" or "provinces") whose corners met at the capital. The four suyu were: Chinchaysuyu (north), Antisuyu (east; the Amazon jungle), Qullasuyu (south) and Kuntisuyu (west). The name Tawantinsuyu was, therefore, a descriptive term indicating a union o…
History
The Inca Empire was the last chapter of thousands of years of Andean civilizations. The Andean civilization is one of at least five civilizations in the world deemed by scholars to be "pristine", that is indigenous and not derivative from other civilizations.
The Inca Empire was preceded by two large-scale empires in the Andes: the Tiwanaku (c. 300–1100 AD), based around Lake Titicaca, and the Wari or Huari (c. 600–1100 AD), centered ne…
Society
The number of people inhabiting Tawantinsuyu at its peak is uncertain, with estimates ranging from 4–37 million. Most population estimates are in the range of 6 to 14 million. In spite of the fact that the Inca kept excellent census records using their quipus, knowledge of how to read them was lost as almost all fell into disuse and disintegrated over time or were destroyed by the Spaniards.
Religion
Inca myths were transmitted orally until early Spanish colonists recorded them; however, some scholars claim that they were recorded on quipus, Andean knotted string records.
The Inca believed in reincarnation. After death, the passage to the next world was fraught with difficulties. The spirit of the dead, camaquen, would need to follow a long road and during the trip the assistance of a black dog that could see in the dark was required. Most Incas imagined the a…
Economy
The Inca Empire employed central planning. The Inca Empire traded with outside regions, although they did not operate a substantial internal market economy. While axe-monies were used along the northern coast, presumably by the provincial mindaláe trading class, most households in the empire lived in a traditional economy in which households were required to pay taxes, usually in the form of the mit'a corvée labor, and military obligations, though barter (or trueque) was present in …
Government
The Sapa Inca was conceptualized as divine and was effectively head of the state religion. The Willaq Umu (or Chief Priest) was second to the emperor. Local religious traditions continued and in some cases such as the Oracle at Pachacamac on the Peruvian coast, were officially venerated. Following Pachacuti, the Sapa Inca claimed descent from Inti, who placed a high value on imperial blood; by the end of the empire, it was common to incestuously wed brother and sister. He was "s…
Arts and technology
Architecture was the most important of the Incan arts, with textiles reflecting architectural motifs. The most notable example is Machu Picchu, which was constructed by Inca engineers. The prime Inca structures were made of stone blocks that fit together so well that a knife could not be fitted through the stonework. These constructs have survived for centuries, with no use of mortar to sustain them.