Inca Civilization: The Lost City of Machu Picchu

The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru, which occupied most of the western side of South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean, in the early 13th century. There are various geographical features; in these physical features, the Incas made their home above the Andes mountains, which is near the coastline deserts and the Amazon jungle. All of these physical features acted as natural barriers. For transportation, the Incas to build bridges between mountain peaks and over gorges. However, the commoners were not allowed on the roads; only the animals for food transportation, warriors, the road-runners, the nobles, and government officials. The Inca civilization was one of the pastoral tribes during the 12th century. Then, it eventually became an empire that comprises social classes. The Inca civilization arose from the previous culture in the Andean region, the Chavin culture. The Inca people expanded step terraces and mastered the art of weaving from earlier Andean peoples. Also, influenced by the Chavin culture, people had different cultures and traditions. Those people were allowed to keep their own culture, which led to cultural diffusion. In general, the Inca people offered food, clothing, and drink to the guardian spirits of the home and the village. Each month, they had its own festivals, which were celebrated with ceremonies, sports, and games. The “Chosen Women,” the special attendants for the sun god Inti, were trained to prepare the ceremony and studied their religion. After their training, most of them continued to serve Inti, but others joined the Inca’s court or married nobles.

At the top of the social classes was the Sapa Inca, the emperor. He was a “living god,” since he was considered as the descendant of Inti, the sun god. Thus he was highly respected and even owned all the means of production. The social classes followed by the royalty, including the sons and close relatives of the Sapa Inca, the nobility, comprised by royal relatives, priests, and chiefs. The lowest class of the pyramidal social structure was the ayllu, who were the majority of the population. Family units were part of ayllu, which collectively owned farmland. In the Inca civilization, agriculture was a community practice. The Inca state ordered the conquered peoples and periodically chosen Inca people to farm. They were famous for their food storage, which helped people survive through natural disasters. Foodstuffs were stored in storehouses; the state officials kept record through the quipu, a recording device of strings and knots. Similar to the colorful quipu, the Incas produced artworks with a variety of colors; these artworks included textiles, ceramics, and metal sculpture. The Inca artisans were also skillful as architectures. The architectures were often made out of stones. Most of Inca buildings were rocky, rectangular, and individual. Majority of the architecture was not built to maintain its location for a long time, but Machu Pichu survived for several centuries until Spanish conquistadors invaded and found out the city. The Spaniards were one of the main factors of the collapse of the Inca Empire; they transmitted their diseases. Another reason for the decline of the civilization was the civil war that occurred in 1527, followed by the death of Sapa Inca Huayna Capac and his eldest son Ninan Cuyochi. 

Although the Inca civilization had declined, they influenced many other civilizations. The Spaniards brought over crops such as potatoes and tomatoes. Some groups of people living in remote villages in Peru still speak Quechua, which is the Inca language. Llamas are also still used today as a form of transportation as the Incas used them. Inti Raymi, an ancient festival, is also reenacted each year. The biggest impact on today’s society is the lost city of Machu Picchu, which now became a great tourist attraction.