The Inca Empire, its rulers, roads, agriculture, society, and encounters with European powers.
Test your knowledge with these top questions!
Pachacuti rose to power after defending Cusco against which people?
In Inca tradition, his father fled the attack, while the future Pachacuti stayed to defend the capital.
Pachacuti ruled which civilization?
The Inca governed through provincial officials and local leaders, allowing a small ruling elite to control a vast empire.
Which son of Pachacuti continued Inca conquests and succeeded him as ruler?
Topa Inca Yupanqui conquered the powerful Chimu kingdom, bringing its coastal territory into the Inca Empire.
Pachacuti rebuilt which city as the center of Inca imperial power?
Inca roads connected Cusco to distant provinces, helping officials move armies, messages, and supplies across the empire.
What were the "tambos" that dotted the Inca road network?
Every tambo had cooking facilities and storage silos, so armies on the move could eat and sleep without carrying their own supplies.
Roughly how long was the Inca road system?
The network was built over several centuries by Andean peoples, and long stretches of the original roadbed are still walked as mountain trails.
About how far could the Inca relay system carry news in one day?
A runner blew a shell trumpet near the next station to alert the waiting messenger, keeping news moving along the road.
The Inca built their mountain highways without ever using which of these?
With no horses or oxen to pull carts, everything moved on foot, with llamas carrying the heaviest loads.
Inca mummy Juanita was found on Mount Ampato in which country?
Juanita was a child sacrificed as an offering to Inca deities, and freezing conditions preserved her body for about 500 years.
Who cared for an Inca emperor's mummy after his death?
The family kept the dead ruler's estates, using their income to support his mummy's household.