1. MESOAMERICA: The Incas

2. Geography
Located in the Andes Mountains on western coast of South America
Empire stretched from modern-day Ecuador in north to Chile in south; largest empire in the Americas

3. Cities Macchu Picchu Cuzco (capital of empire, in southern Peru)
8,000 feet above sea-level, between 2 mountain peaks
Purpose is unknown
Cuzco (capital of empire, in southern Peru)

4. Government & Society Ruled by an emperor
Divided territory into units w/ central bureaucracy
Single language (Quechua)
Built cities in conquered areas, founded Incan schools
Social system based on form of community cooperation = the “ayllu”

5. Economy Based on high-altitude agriculture
Incan state controlled most economic activity
Demanded labor tribute from subjects = “mita” (all able-bodied citizens had to work for state a certain number of days per year)
Similar to socialism or modern welfare system

7. Religion Polytheistic Worshipped fewer gods than Aztecs
Focused on key nature spirits (sun, moon, stars, thunder)
Inti = sun god = Incan ruler considered a descendant of Inti
Incans embalmed their dead (believed in after-life, worshipped spirits of ancestors, mummies of Incan rulers treated as if still alive)

8. Timeline
Originally lived in high plateau of Andes, finally settled in Valley of Cuzco
1200s C.E. = established small kingdom
1438 C.E. = Pachacuti became emperor, Inca conquered all of Peru
1500 C.E. = Inca ruled empire 2,500 miles long (about 16 million people)
Accomplished conquest through diplomacy and military force

10. Decline of empire
After death of ruler Huayna Capac, empire was split between 2 sons (dual emperors)
Worked for a while, then civil war began
Spanish arrived at end of civil war, conquered the Incan empire

11. Known for… Road system Calendar Record-keeping system
14,000 miles of roads and bridges
Calendar
2 types (night and day = could track the gods in charge of each day and time)
Record-keeping system
“Quipu”
Never developed a writing system