Ancient Cultures

1. • The Inca referred to their empire as
Tawantinsuyu, "four parts together."[7] In
THE INCAS
Quechua the term Tawantin is a group of four
things (tawa "four" with the suffix -ntin which
names a group). Suyu means "region" or
"province". The empire was divided into four
suyus, whose corners met at the capital, Cusco
(Qosqo). The name Tawantinsuyu
was, therefore, a descriptive term indicating a
union of provinces. The Spanish transliterated the
name as Tahuatinsuyo or Tahuatinsuyu which is
often still used today.
• The term Inka means ruler, or lord, in
Quechua, and was used to refer to the ruling class
or the ruling family in the empire.[8] The Spanish
adopted the term (transliterated as Inca in
Spanish) as an ethnic term referring to all subjects
of the empire rather than simply the ruling class.
As such the name Imperio inca (Inca Empire)
referred to the nation that they encountered, and
subsequently conquered.

2. Population
• There is some debate
about the number of
people inhabiting
Tawantinsuyu at its
peak, with estimates
ranging from as few as 4
million people, to more
than 37 million. The
reason for these various
estimates is that in spite
of the fact that the Inca
kept excellent census
records using their
quipu, knowledge of how
to read them has been
lost, and almost all of
them had been destroyed
by the Spaniards in the
course of their conquest

3. Language
Main article: Quechua languages
Since the Inca Empire lacked a written language, the empire's main form of
communication and recording came from quipus, ceramics and spoken
Quechua, the language the Incas imposed upon the peoples within the empire.

4. Organization of the empire
• The four suyus of the empire.
• The most powerful figure in the
empire was the Sapa Inca ('the
unique Inca'). Only descendants of
the original Inca tribe ascended to
the level of Inca. Most young
members of the Inca's family
attended Yachay Wasis (houses of
knowledge) to obtain their
education.
• The Inca Empire was a federalist
system which consisted of a central
government with the Inca at its head
and four provinces: Chinchay Suyu
(NW), Anti Suyu (NE), Kunti Suyu
(SW), and Qulla Suyu (SE). The four
corners of these provinces met at
the center, Cusco.

5. The architecture
• The Incas developed a highly
functional style of public architecture that
was remarkable for its advanced engineering
techniques and fine stone work. The cities
plan was based on a system of main avenues
intersected by smaller streets converging
on an open square surrounded by municipal
buildings and temples. The structure was one
story with a perfect assembly of cut
stones, also used mud bricks and straw in the
coastal regions. For the construction of great
monuments such as the great fortress of
Sacsayhuaman near Cuzco, massive polygona
l blocks were put together with
extraordinary precision. In mountainous
regions such as the spectacular Andean
city located in Machu Picchu, the Inca
architecture reflected often ingenious
adaptations of natural relief.

6. The religion
The state religion was based on Sun worship Inca
emperors were regarded as descendants of the
•
Sun God and were worshiped as gods. Gold, symbol of
the Sun God, was exploited for the use of leaders and
members of the elite, not as currency but for
decoration and rituals. Religion dominated the entire
political structure. From the Temple of the Sun at the
center of Cuzco, we could draw an imaginary line
towards the places of worship of different social classes
in the city.
Religious practice consisted on oracle
consultations, as offering sacrifices, religious trances
and public confessions. The annual cycle of religious
festivals was regulated by the Inca calendar, extremely
precise, and the agricultural year. Because of these and
other aspects, the Inca culture was much like some
cultures of Meso-America as the Aztecs and Mayans.

7. The agriculture
• By being a predominantly agricultural
society Andes, the Incas were able to make
the most of the
ground, overcoming adversity that
offered the rugged Andean terrain and
inclement weather. The adaptation
of agricultural techniques already
used before in different parts, enabled
the Incas to organize the production of
various products, both on the
coast, highlands and
jungle, to redistribute to people without
access to other regions. Technological
achievements made ​at the farm level, not
have been possible without the workforce
that was available to the Inca and the road
network that allowed properly
store and distribute resources and
harvested throughout its territory.

8. Aznar, Pilar y Liuzzi, Paula