Inca Influence On Language/Education

Quechua

Quechua is the language we associate with the Inca even though it pre-dates the empire. It is estimated that up to 4 million people still speak Quechua in Peru today. Further more, an estimated 10 million people still speak it in what would have been the reaches of the Inca Empire. Quechua is most commonly spoken in the highlands of the Andes Mountains.

The Inca never had a written language, and Quechua was only spoken by the residents. After the conquest of the Spaniards, the language eventually was written down however it is not often written by those that still use this language today. In fact we have adopted many words into the English language. The following have all come from the Quechua language: avocado, coca, condor, guano, llama, poncho, potato, puma, quinoa, and vicuna

Inca Influence On Math

What the Inca lacked in written language, they more than made up for with their abilities in math. The Inca invented a device called a quipu. This device was their communication system. A quipu is made up of several strings tied to a main string. These strings are made from cotton, llama wool, and alpaca wool. These strings had a series of knots on them that were based on a powers of ten notion. Only a select few in the Empire had the knowledge of how to “read” these instruments. The numbers represented were determined by a few different factors:

• size of the knots
• distance between the knots
• the number of knots on an individual string

They also could decipher by the color of the string, what item was being counted. The Inca used the quipu to keep inventory of everything in their empire! By keeping an accurate count of people, supplies, crops, weapons, etc. they were able to move things around the empire to places where that particular item was needed most. The Inca’s excellent skills at keeping these records have influenced our current systems of census taking and inventory.

Astronomy

As is common with most ancient civilizations, the celestial bodies were very important to the Inca. The Inca studied the positions of the sun, moon, and Venus to help determine important events in the empire. They built several temples that allowed them to monitor the position of these heavenly bodies. They used this information to keep track of religious ceremonies, the solstices and equinoxes, and the planting and harvesting seasons.

The Inca used this information to develop a calendar. Their calendar was based on both the position of the sun and the moon. They created a calendar of twelve months (like our own today) however theirs was divided into three 10-day weeks.

Inca Influence On Agriculture

Again, agriculture was important in this region long before the Inca arrived, but they were able to build upon the knowledge of those that preceded them. The fertile soil of the Sacred Valley made farming an important occupation. It is estimated that during the time of the Inca nearly 90% of the population made their living from farming. The Inca influence on agriculture is still found today through the crops they developed. Many fruits and vegetables that we eat today came from the Inca including: avocados, bananas, cashews, chili peppers, coca beans, cotton, cucumbers, maize, peanuts, pineapples, potatoes, quinoa, spices, squash, strawberries, and tomatoes

Moray

The Inca were able to take advantage of the fertile soil in the area and develop all these different crops by experimenting. The Inca used the site of Moray as an agricultural laboratory! This site was made up of many circular terraces of varying elevation. The difference in temperature from the lowest level to the top could change by as much as 30 degrees! They used this site to determine what crops grew best at certain elevations. They used this knowledge to determine where certain crops should be grown throughout the empire!

Crop Rotation

Anyone that has grown up on, or near, a farm realizes the importance of rotating crops to increase the yield of the harvest. The reason for this is each crop pulls certain minerals and nutrients from the soil in which they grow. By growing the same crop in the same place you deplete the soil of these nutrients which eventually leads to a failed crop. The Inca used this method to rotate crops on a yearly cycle to avoid a poor harvest. They also had a seven year rotation for potato crops that coincided with the six year life span of a pest that destroyed the potatoes if not regulated!

When a crop did not yield as much as expected the Inca used a method called the three sisters to help rejuvenate the soil. This method grew corn, quinoa, and squash in the same plot of soil at varying times throughout the season. These crops all had a symbiotic relationship with each other where each benefited from the other two crops that they were planted with.

Terrace Farming

The Inca influence on terrace farming is seen all over the steep landscape of the Andes Mountains. It was vital to create a level surface for crops to grow that did not wash down the mountain side during the rainy season. Expanding on the knowledge of those prior to the Inca’s arrival, they built their terraces using a four layer approach.

• large rocks and boulders: This was the base layer and provided strength and support for the terrace. A beneficial side affect was these large rocks reflected the heat of the day back into the root system on cold, high-altitude evenings. This helped extend the growing season by keeping frost at bay.
• gravel: The second layer was made of gravel and was vital in the drainage of the terraces. The gravel allowed the water to pass through it without eroding all of the fertile soil to the valley floor below.
• sand/gravel: The third layer was a mixture of sand and gravel that provided a secure base for the topsoil and root system of the crops to attach to.
• topsoil: Rich topsoil from the Sacred Valley was often transported all of the Inca Empire to help increase the yield of the harvest!

The Inca did such an amazing job building these terraces that many are still used for farming today!

Freeze Dried Foods

The Inca learned to take full advantage of the environment around them. The high altitudes in the Andes Mountains led to temperatures dropping below freezing often. The Inca would place potatoes beneath a cloth overnight. In the morning they would walk on the cloths to squeeze out as much moisture as possible out of the potatoes. This process was repeated several times until they were left with chuño, freeze dried potatoes!

Freeze drying foods had several advantages for the Inca:

• Light weight: Soldiers could carry large quantities of chuño easily making it the perfect food to keep their energy up.
• Durable: Freeze dried food could keep for years, making it suitable for storing for times of drought, natural disaster, or other reasons for crop failure.
• Taste: The freeze drying process helped eliminate the bitter taste of some of their certain types of potato crops.

Crafts/Arts

Expanding on techniques acquired from civilizations that came before them, the Inca were skilled in many forms of crafts. Below are two areas which the Inca have seen the most influence on today’s society.

Inca Influence On Textiles

Woven textiles have always been highly regarded in Inca society. High quality materials had also been seen as a status symbol. Textiles were so important that they could be used for mit’a (tax paid to Sapa Inca), as currency, or even as prized gifts. The Inca used natural fibers such as cotton or wool (llama, alpaca, or vicuna (for the Sapa Inca only)) and natural dyes to create these masterpieces.

Weavers used a backstop loom, a tool common in Central and South America, which stretched between a given anchor point and around their waist. They also used a technique called twining in which they braided their yarn by hand using multiple strands of thinner fibers. This labor-intensive process allowed the Inca to have better control of their finished product. In fact, even though they had no written language, some of their most intricate work could tell a story through their designs!

As technology improved and cheaper synthetic fibers became abundant, the traditional methods used by the ancient Inca were in danger of disappearing forever. When locals realized what was happening they acted accordingly. In 1996 the Centro de Textiles Traditionales del Cusco formed to relearn these techniques from village elders before they were lost for good. Today this establishment continues to teach others these ancient techniques, through short weaving demonstrations or longer workshops in specific areas of the weaving process. It has become so successful that it has provided employment opportunities for at least ten local weaving communities!

Inca Influence On Instruments

The Inca used music in many of their religious or celestial ceremonies. It is believed that their love of music blossomed from integrating the Nazca civilization into their own. This love of music inspired them to invent many instruments that are still used today in South America and throughout the world!

Percussion

• Huancar- A large drum carried by men
• Tinya- A smaller drum used by women
• Pomatinya- A smaller hand held drum stretched with puma skin

Wood Winds

• Pinkullo- A flute-like instrument

• Antares- Panpipes made of a series of single pipes of varying lengths that are tied together in a row
• Guayllaquepas- An instrument similar to a bugle

String

• Charango- Andean lute, post colonial instrument inspired by the Spanish that is still popular today

Construction/Transportation

The Inca were master stone masons and their techniques were far beyond any of their time or even those today. They cut stones so perfectly that they could fit together without a need for mortar. these seams are so tight that even today you would not be able to fit a credit card in between two rocks!

The Inca building structures to last. Buildings needed to withstand all that nature could throw at them including, high winds, heavy rains, and even earthquakes. The Inca were so skilled at construction that today many buildings are built on top of the solid foundations left from the past!

Roads

Although the Romans invented roads centuries before the arrival of the Inca, that does not diminish what they were able to accomplish. The Inca built a network of roads throughout their empire that encompassed more than 25,000 miles! To make this feat even more impressive this was accomplished in a span of about 100 years. Each time an area was conquered, roads were built connecting this new area to the rest of the empire. Roads had several advantages:

• Allowed a communication network to be created using runners spaced evenly along the roads.
• Movement of troops throughout the empire with relative ease.
• The Inca were able to transport goods quickly to areas in need.

The Inca were able to expand their road system throughout varying landscapes across their empire. Possibly the most famous Inca road, the Inca Trail, is still widely used today to trek to Machu Picchu!

Inca Influence On Bridges

Although they may not have invented roads, the Inca are credited with inventing several types of bridges. These bridges were used to cross streams, rivers, or deep ravines in the Andes. Below are three types of bridges the Inca used to access areas of their empire.

• suspension bridge- Suspension bridges were used to cross relatively narrow rivers or ravines. The Inca were braid ropes from reeds and grass and stretch them across the gap either by swimming or climbing down and up the other side. They would use either wood or some other fibrous material to create planks to walk across.
• pontoon bridges- For short distances across fairly shallow waterways, the Inca would stretch reed planks between multiple boats to allow quick access across the water.
• pulley baskets- For long distances where a suspension bridge would prove inadequate, the Inca used a third type of bridge. The Inca would stretch a rope across the obstruction and hang a basket from it. This basket could typically hold up to two or three people. Once inside they would be pulled across using a pulley system. These bridges proved useful moving people or supplies across wide rivers or steep mountain ravines.

It is easy to see that the Inca were far ahead of their time. It is fascinating to see the influence of the Inca alive and well in todays society. For more information on the Inca and the Sacred Valley click on the link below. Thanks for visiting and I wish you safe travels! trekandteach