The Incas
by Marci RanzerThe Inca Civilization
In the year 1532, the Inca civilization was at its height. In less than a century they grew into the greatest power in the Americas. Against all odds, the Incas rose out of a long line of civilizations who survived in the Americas for centuries. Shaken by earthquakes and volcanoes, the towering peaks of their homeland had air so thin that visitors gasped for breath and coastal desert so dry that they turned men into mummies. Until they were conquered by the Spanish, the Inca Empire thrived in a rugged and uncongenial region where few could even survive.
The Inca Empire was the most powerful in the Americas. The Inca civilization rivaled the size of the Roman Empire. Their system of roads could have stretched half way around the earth. They had a vast fighting force that was tested in battle. With a mastermind for engineering, they had produced some of the most rugged lands on earth. Their messengers covered 250 miles a day even bearing fresh fish from sea level to 12,000 feet.
Machu Picchu is one of the greatest mysteries the Inca left behind. It was a magnificent city that for centuries lay hidden from the outside world. For 400 years, Machu Picchu stood in silence at the top of the world. It is the last great sanctuary of the Inca.
Perhaps one of the greatest achievements of the Inca civilization was that they cultivated a vast array of crops that would thrive in the diverse environment of the region. Corn was the most valued. They grew tomatoes and peanuts and over 200 types of potatoes.
They cultivated coco plants, chewing the leaves to ward off hunger and fatigue. Generation upon generation had survived here, each building on the successes and learning from the failures of those who preceded them.
As the Inca Empire grew, they reshaped the landscape to meet their needs. Rivers were straightened, canals dug and millions of acres of mountainside carved into terraced farm land, like stairs to the heavens, they amazed the Spanish who called the mountain range by their word for terrace, ‘Andenes.’
The Inca’s bodies evolved developing larger lungs and short powerful legs to negotiate the steep mountain terrain. They domesticated animals like Llama and Alpaca providing meat and wool for warm clothing.
The Inca and their ancestors adapted to an unforgiving environment, and it is for this reason that they prospered for so long.
The Inca Religion
Religion was customary in the Inca civilization. Although the Inca left no written record, we know that they worshiped Gods from chronicles left by the Spaniards.
The Inca religion consisted of the worshiping of many Gods. They believed that the Sun called “Inti” was their spiritual father. The Incas stood in awe of the power of nature. In addition to Inti, the Sun God, they worship the mountains, the earth, thunder, and the moon. They expanded their pantheon with each new people that they conquered; incorporating new idols and spirits as their own, but all people of the region agreed on one Universal Creator called Viracocha.
Held on the Winter Solstice in Cuzco, the Inca capital, the festival of Inti Rami celebrated the Sun and all its abundant gifts. The Spanish outlawed Inti Rami, but it was revived earlier this century. Like many Inca traditions, Inti Rami honors ancestors, believers in God and their Emperor and in their own hard work.
This system of belief recognized one’s ancestors as being extremely important, your grandfather, your great grandfather established where you would be in society and because ancestors were so important these folks engaged in what we call ancestor veneration worshiping your ancestors, a major part of that was making sure that the ancestral body was kept intact and to accomplish this, mummification of bodies became exceedingly important.
The Inca court of the dead was called the “panaka” but mummification in the region predates the Inca by nearly 5000 years. In the arid deserts of Peruvian coast, bodies naturally resist decay. Hundreds of burial grounds dot the landscape. Today, these remains reveal much about the past.
