the Incas; It is one of the most curious civilizations among the civilizations that lived in prehistory. Although they lived in ancient times, the structures and systems they left behind show that they were a very advanced civilization. Studies on civilization, about which little is known because it does not have a written language, reveal surprising information. The architecture of the Incas, innovative agricultural techniques, extraordinary traditions, human sacrifices, communication and record keeping are the subjects of great interest.
The Incas, the largest empire in the Americas before Christopher Columbus, was officially established in 1438 and continued to grow until 1533. It is a community that lived in scattered small tribes before it was formally established. With a population of close to 10 million, it is spread over a wide region along the Andes Mountains. The empire ruled an area of 4000 kilometers in its most glorious period. They built huge temples, administrative centers, canal systems, and wide roads. They did all this before the wheel was invented, even without a written language.
Empire; It began in the Andes region on the west coast of South America when their legendary king and the first Sapa Inca (great leader) Manco Capac founded the Kingdom of Cuzco in the 11th century. The Inca Empire, which was a warrior society, continued to grow after its establishment and expanded its borders by taking the communities around it under their sovereignty. In 1532, Spanish invaders captured the Inca region and became the sole dominant power in the entire Andean region. Inca resistance and rebellion continued until the establishment of the Peruvian governorship in 1542. With the suppression of the last Inca resistance in Vilcabamba in 1572, the Inca Civilization came to an end.
Social Order and Administration in the Incas
The Incas draw attention as a civilization with different characteristics in many ways. The Inca civilization, whose foundations were laid in the city of Cuzco, has strict rules. For this reason, they quickly strengthened and spread after they were established. They lived in lands such as Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and northern Chile. They attached great importance to strict hierarchy rules in order to ensure discipline. The Incas, who were extremely strong militarily, quickly became stronger thanks to the rules they applied.
The Incas regarded the emperor as the son of the sun and believed that the emperor established the connection between god and humans. The change of emperor was made in a certain order. The person who will ascend the throne was determined by choosing the strongest among the sons of the last emperor. The emperor chose the person who would be the leader among his own sons and therefore prevented the fight for the throne. Due to the strict hierarchical rule in the empire, people did not have the right to have a say in this matter. Every word and behavior that the emperor said was accepted as a rule by the people. A dynasty of 13 emperors ruled throughout the Inca history.
The Inca rulers wore a different outfit every day, and they burned them after using them. A group known as the chosen women prepared the clothes that the rulers would wear for life.
Currency, Road and Postal System Used by the Incas
In the Inca society, a land system called ‘ayylu’ was adopted, in which kinship relations were at the forefront. The Incas, who lived in an area close to the rainforest, used many types of fruit. It is even known as the first potato-growing civilization in the world. They also used the potato to treat many wounds. There is no specific currency and no central market place. They grew their own food and used this food as currency according to the barter method.
They have created an impressive road system of 40 thousand kilometers to provide transportation and communication. There is no system as advanced as the road and water system built by the Incas during their lifetime. For this reason, when the Spaniards conquered the region, they were greatly influenced by these structures of the Incas. There are 5,230 kilometers of Inca roads stretching from Chile to Colombia.
The Incas created an effective postal system called ‘chasqui’, in which messengers worked in pairs. These messengers carried messages and gifts at distances of up to 240 kilometers per day. There are resting and storage areas in many places on the road route where they carry out the transportation process. Non-wheeled Incas often traveled these routes on foot or using llamas as mounts.
The Unsolved Structures of the Incas
The Incas are a highly advanced civilization in terms of architecture and engineering. How many of the buildings they built were built are still unsolved issues today. One of these structures is one of the most important cities of the Incas, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List today. Machu Picchu It is an ancient city. How they brought the rocks they carried while building the city at an altitude of 2450 meters is still not resolved. One of the important structures of the Incas is the Inca castle, built by King Pachacuti in the 15th century. Saksaywaman are ruins. It is not known exactly how the huge rocks used in the construction of the castle were transported, removed and put back in their place.
One of the important structures of the Incas was the bridges they built with ropes obtained from grass over canyons and gorges. These Bridges were regularly repaired and maintained by the people living in the region. The Keshwa Chaca Bridge, located near Huinchiri, Peru, is one of the best examples of rope bridges built by the Incas.
Advanced Medical Knowledge of the Incas
It has been seen that the findings about the Incas are quite advanced in the field of medicine. According to evidence from 2000 years ago, they performed many complex surgeries besides brain surgery. Research on hundreds of skulls in Peru has revealed that the success rate of surgeries is over 80 percent. The surgeries were performed without modern anesthesia and antibiotics. The trepanation method known as drilling, cutting and scraping in the skull was applied.
They also used the technique of mummification of the deceased. These mummies usually consist of eminent individuals.
Human Sacrifice Ceremonies of the Incas
Having a polytheistic belief, the Incas believed that they had control over the world. For them, emperor means demigod. They performed human sacrifice ceremonies in order to please the gods, prevent natural disasters, and obtain a good harvest.
More than 140 children and 200 llamas were found to have been ritually sacrificed in northern Peru. In the skeletal remains of animals and children, the ribs were cut and the heart removed, as well as the chest cut. Coca and alcohol were found in the hair of 3 Inca children sacrificed 500 years ago. It is thought that the victims were given drugs prior to the ritual.
Structure of the Inca Armies
The structure of the Inca armies was based on the decimal system. A team of 10 is under the command of a military officer known as ‘chunka kamayuq’. A team of 100 people is also under military command known as ‘pachaka kurura’. At the same time, a team of 1,000 was led by ‘waranqa kurura’, while an army of 10,000 was led by ‘hunu kurura’. All armies are under the command and authority of Sapa Inca.
Since the Incas did not have a writing system, they used a system called “quipu” with knotted strings for record keeping.
There is a lot of information about the Incas, which were among the first civilizations destroyed by the Spanish. However, there are issues that are not fully resolved. The Inca civilization, about which there is constant information, has a mysterious structure. Science is insufficient to solve how many artifacts left from the Incas were made. For this reason, scientists associate the advanced knowledge of the Incas with extraterrestrials.
