The Inca civilization-

 The Inca civilization-

The Inca civilization flourished in ancient Peru between c. 1400 and 1533 CE, and their empire eventually extended across western South America from Quito in the north to Santiago in the south, making it the largest empire ever seen in the Americas and the largest in the world at that time.The Inca civilization is one of the oldest civilization in mankind history.The Inca Empire also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire, was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America.Machu Picchu sits nestled between the Andes mountains of modern-day Peru and the Amazon basin and is one of the Inca’s most famous surviving archeological sites.

Population

The number of people inhabiting Tawantinsuyu at its peak is uncertain, with estimates ranging from 4–37 million. Most population estimates are in the range of 6 to 14 million. In spite of the fact that the Inca kept excellent census records using their quipus, knowledge of how to read them was lost as almost all fell into disuse and disintegrated over time or were destroyed by the Spaniards.

Inca food-

Maize and meat were generally considered the elite food of the Incas and were consumed by the “maiden” and her attendants in the year before they were sacrificed. In addition to these elite food products, other goods consumed in the Inca diet included sweet potatoes, quinoa, beans and chili peppers.

Moray

At Moray in the Sacred Valley, the Incas built a series of concentric circular terraces, speculated to have been an agricultural laboratory. Each terrace is a little hotter and less windy, allowing for the simulation of micro-climates.

             Weapons, armor and warfare

The Inca army was the most powerful at that time, because any ordinary villager or farmer could be recruited as a soldier as part of the mit’a system of mandatory public service. Every able bodied male Inca of fighting age had to take part in war in some capacity at least once and to prepare for warfare again when needed. By the time the empire reached its largest size, every section of the empire contributed in setting up an army for war.

The Incas had no iron or steel and their weapons were not much more effective than those of their opponents so they often defeated opponents by sheer force of numbers, or else by persuading them to surrender beforehand by offering generous terms. Inca weaponry included “hardwood spears launched using throwers, arrows, javelins, slings, the bolas, clubs, and maces with star-shaped heads made of copper or bronze.” Rolling rocks downhill onto the enemy was a common strategy, taking advantage of the hilly terrain.Fighting was sometimes accompanied by drums and trumpets made of wood, shell or bone.Armor included.

• Helmets made of wood, cane, or animal skin, often lined with copper or bronze; some were adorned with feathers
• Round or square shields made from wood or hide
• Cloth tunics padded with cotton and small wooden planks to protect the spine
• Ceremonial metal breastplates, of copper, silver, and gold, have been found in burial sites, some of which may have also been used in battle.