Period+2+Inca

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Dwellings
written by Matt The architecture of the homes of Inca people was so strong that Inca building are still here after hundreds of years and multiple earthquakes. The Incas lived in stone cities built into steep mountain slopes. Inca homes were made out of stone or adobe mud. They had thick walls and thatched roofs. The homes consisted of no windows and one room with not much furniture since Incas spent most of their time outdoors. The Incas were masters of stonework. They fitted stones extremely precisely and are thought to have used tapes and wires that helped them figure out exact dimensions that stones needed to be cut. Lime, quartzite, granite and basalt were their favorite materials.

**Lifestyle** written by Kurt

 The Inca lifestyle was very organized. All Inca society were forced to wear different costumes based on region and every one of them wore large ear ornaments. The Inca people also raised many animals such as [|llamas], ducks, [|alpacas], dogs, and guinea pigs. Much of the Inca clothing was made from llama wool and cotton.The Inca people dug flat surfaces into the mountains where they lived and planted many things. Some of the things they planted were squash, tomatoes, peanuts, corn, and potatoes. To plant some of these items, they used “digging sticks”. The Inca people also made lots of [|jewelery] using metals from their multiple metal mines. They had [|gold], [|copper], and [|silver] mines which was part of what attracted the Spanish, who turned them into slaves. The Inca people were destroyed for slaves and precious metals.

Religion
written by sarah C-P  The [|Inca] tribe had a very simple religion. They believed in many gods and worship then in temple like some still do today. They had thought that the gods would increase the crops if they prayed for them and gave them sacrifices. The religion flourished because so many people were involved. They were so committed to their religion they sometimes made human sacrifices (but most

of the time they just sacrificed llamas). To please their gods they had religious festivals to honor them. During these elaborate festivals they included dance and [|singing] in part of their prayer. The Inca tribe also made statues to the gods which were displayed for everyone to see. When the Inca’s hunt they have to say special prayers for the gods can help the gods will help them get lots of food. The Incas had there main rules which were important for them to obtain they are: no lying, no stealing and no idling. The Inca tribe had interesting ways of medicine sometimes it even included chanting. And also the priests in the tribe talked to the dead and predicted the future through hearts and the bowels of llamas. The divisors even told the future while intoxicated. Also the would use chicha (a corn alcohol) for religious celebrations. Transgressions were not allowed under any circumstances, anyone who disobeyed would be severely punished. In the Inca society they believed that you could read the stars and understand what they are saying. When a person died in the Inca society they would [|mummy] them and preserve them by buiring them just like we do today. The Inca’s religion is a very complex part of their culture which just shows how intelligent and and smart that this tribe was.

Government
written by Anna Liss-Roy

The Inca government system, inspired by Inti, one of the gods they worshipped, lasted for many centuries, therefore a huge success. As many modern [|historians] have noticed, the organization of the Inca society was[| pyramid] shaped. At the very top of the pyramid was what the economic system focused and relied on most: the [|emperor], or Sappa Inca. Next were the panacas, eleven related governors who were counselors to the Sappa Inca. The panacas had a lot of responsibilities and privileges. For example, the panacas performed important religious functions, and shared [|custody] of some mummified remains of previous rulers. They also organized a court from which the empire’s highest ranking administrators, priests, and military officers were drawn. The level below the panacas on the pyramid consisted of local rulers, like temple priests, architects, and [|military] commanders, and even farther down on the pyramid were the[| artisans] and army captains, who lead 10-50 families! The last and lowest class consisted of farmers and herders, who paid taxes to the higher classes. This system worked very well because the lower class Incas would pay their taxes with clothing, food, and work, and in return the elderly, widows, and orphans were cared for, and foods and goods from large[| storehouses] were supplied if needed.  The Inca society, although quite new, expanded very rapidly as military conquests got more and more land. The successful [|empire] was quite dominating, and historians looking back on it are generally impressed. However, the downfall of the great empire came when Spanish explorers arrived and overtook the Incas, forcing them to become slaves. As time went on, many died from being overworked. Looking back on the Inca society, it is almost impossible not to be impressed with how well organized their government was and how well it worked.