1. Children of the Sun A.D. 1100s-A.D. 1500s

2. Beginnings… The Incas started as a small tribe in Cuzco. Fighting over fertile land in the Andes Mountains, they raided nearby groups and took control of much of the territory. In 100 years, they created a very powerful empire

3. The Inca built thousands of well-paved roads. They lived high in the snow capped Andes Mountains of South America. It was difficult to grow food, but the clever Inca found a way.

4. Andes Mountains, South America

5. The geography was rugged - Andes mountains, the coastline deserts, and the Amazon jungle. The Andes Mountains ran north to south They built their homes high in the mountains The Incas built many bridges between mountain peaks and over deep gorges

6. To stop intruders all they had to do was burn two bridges. This captured their enemy in the middle. They then, left them there to freeze to death.

7. Sapa Inca Pachacuti was a skilled warrior who founded the Incan Empire, he was also known as Sapa Inca, which meant emperor Sapa Inca exercised absolute power over the empire. He also claimed that he was divine, the son of the sun, and was also the chief religious leader.

8. Sapa Inca Gold, the sweat of the sun, was the Sapa Inca’s symbol. The coya or queen, carried out important religious duties and sometimes governed when the Sapa Inca was absent.

9. Records The Incas ran an efficient government which reached into every village. quipo- a collection of knotted, colored strings which kept official records; also noted dates and events as well as statistics on population and crops.

10. Advances The Incas had their own language and religion. It also was unmatched with its system of roads; this consisted of tunnels, steps dug out in hillsides, and traveled over 12,000 miles long Roads allowed armies to travel quickly, news to spread, and they had stations set up along the way for runners to switch off.

11. Work of the People Cuzco was the main city of this great empire; included the great Temple of the Sun, which had its interior walls lined with gold. The Incas strictly regulated the lives of millions of people within their empire. The leaders assigned jobs, arranged marriages, and organized the community to work the land.

12. Farming Terrace Farming- Farmers used the steep hillsides as farmland by building walls to hold the soil from washing away. Land was divided into certain areas for each specific task.

13. More Advancements Incas were incredible metal workers, they learned to alloy or blend copper, tin, bronze, silver, and gold. Developed important medical practices: surgery on the human skull, cleaning the surgery areas before use, and advances in anesthesia

14. Religion The Incas were polytheistic and worshipped many gods linked to the forces of nature. Each month had its own festival for the gods, which included ceremonies, sports, and games. The most important god was the sun god.

15. Machu Picchu Emperor retreat high in the Andes Mountains. New 7 Wonder Of the World

16. http://incas.mrdonn.org/index.html