1. The Incredible Incas: Children of the Sun

2. Who Were the Incas? The Incas were a small tribe of South American Indians who lived in the city of Cuzco, high in the Andes Mountains of Peru. Around 1400 CE, a neighboring tribe attacked the Incas, but the Incas won. This was the beginning of the Inca Empire. In only 100 years, the Inca Empire grew so big that it expanded into what are now the modern countries of Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina.

3. Inca Government One thing that helped the Incas grow so rapidly was their system of a strong central government. Everybody worked for the state, and in turn the state looked after everybody. Sapa Inca: The head of government was the Inca, sometimes called the “Sapa Inca” (“the Only Inca”). The Sapa Inca was all-powerful. Everything belonged to the Sapa Inca. He ruled his people by putting his relatives in positions of power. Since punishment was harsh and swift, almost no one broke the law.

4. Inca Religion Gods and goddesses: The Incas worshipped the gods of nature. The sun god Inti was one of their most powerful gods. In a farming community, sunshine was an important element. Signs: The Incas believed that their gods and their ancestors could communicate with them through dreams, omens, and other signs, to give them advice and help. Priests were powerful because they could read signs in just about anything.

5. The Forgotten City: Machu Picchu Since the Incas never developed a system of writing, archaeologists must study myths, legends, and the artifacts they left behind for clues about the Inca people. Archaeologists were excited when they found the Inca city of Machu Picchu in 1911. The city had never been destroyed by war. Explorers found ruins of temples, palaces, fortresses, a royal tomb, pottery, and terrace gardens. Today, Machu Picchu is Peru's top tourist attraction.

6. Achievements Important to the Success of the Inca Empire 1.Communication (roads, message runners) 2.Specialized professions (engineers, metal workers, stonemasons, other artisans) 3.Service tax (huge free labor force) 4.Technology (terrace farming, surplus crops, irrigation systems) 5.Strong central government (all-powerful Sapa Inca, strict laws, basic needs satisfied)