Incas: A Cultural History

This primary source portfolio provides an exploration of one of the greatest empires of all times. The Inca Empire had structures that spread from southern Chile to as far north as Columbia, a distance of some 3,200 miles, and from the Pacific coast to the Amazon basin. Without the benefit of money, iron, the written word, or the wheel, the Incas adapted to and exploited the varied physical environment of their realm. Your students will learn that the Incas conquered nearly 100 independent nations to create the most tightly organized empire in the New World. Why is the Inca courier system considered to be the quickest form of communication across vast stretches of land until the invention of the telegraph? How did the Incas fit stones weighing up to 80 tons so closely together that a piece of paper cannot pass between them? How were the Incas able to construct a road system that rivals that of the Romans? How was it possible for 164 Spaniards to destroy this empire of millions? This portfolio includes a Study Guide with reproducible student activities and a timeline of the Inca dynasty. 7 Illustrated Broadsheet Essays: * The Incas: An Introduction * Birth of the Incas * The People * Society and Religion * Achievements of the Incas * Art and Architecture * Conquest of an Empire 11 Primary Source Documents: * Map showing distribution of Pre-Inca cultures * Inca architecture: cyclopean buildings and megalithic stones * Map and photos illustrating the Inca road system * Record Keeping: the Quipu * Communications: chasquis and tambos * List of mambos along the Inca Highway * Poster: pre-Inca and Inca Art * Into Raymi: Festival of the Sun * Photo essay: Machu Picchu * Paper confirming the conquest of Peru * Kon-Tiki: The Peru / Polynesia connection