Early Civilizations in South America

Cuzco

A city located at 11,000 feet in the mountains of southern Peru, where the Incas were only a small community.

hitching post of the sun

An elegant stone known to the Inca: -Carved from a mountain, this may have been used as a solar observatory. *During the sun festival, the people of Machu Picchu gathered here to chant and say prayers to Inti, the sun god.

Nazca

Appearing in Peru, this culture preserved some aspects of Chavin culture, especially its style of pottery: -Practiced their religion outdoors, as suggested by Nazca Lines.

emperor

At the top of the entire Inca political spectrum was the _______, who was believed to be descended from Inti, the sun god.

wheel

Because the Inca did not make use of the _____, supplies were carried on the backs of llamas.

Nazca Lines

Grooves etched into the rocky soil of southern Peru in the image of animals, especially birds, as well as humans and other geometric shapes. *The images are so large, however, that their shapes can only be seen from the air.

Moche

Here is where a major urban center arose amid irrigated fields in the valley of the Moche River: -Farmers in the area grew enough maize, peanuts, potatoes, and cotton to supply much of the region. -People here had no written language. *Paintings and pottery frequently portray warriors, prisoners, and sacrificial victims. *400 mile territory.

Quechua

Once an area was under Inca control, the local inhabitants were instructed to learn this language.

high-altitude agriculture

The Inca economy was based on this: -Used terraced farms, water by irrigation systems that carreid precise amounts of water into the fields.

court theater

The Inca had a well-developed tradition of ____ _____, consisting of both tragic and comic works: -Recounted valiant deeds + historic events. -Actors were not professionals, but rather members of nobility or senior officials who memorized their parts. *Poetry was also recited, often accompanied by music played on reed instruments.

quipu

The Inca had no writing system. Instead, they kept records using a system of knotted strings called the _____.

war

The Inca state was built on ___: -All young men required to serve in the army. *Army was the largest + best in the region.

roads

The incas built a system of some 24,8000 miles of ____: -Rest houses, storage depots, and various types of bridges (suspension) were placed/ built over ravines and waterways. *Roads used chiefly for official and military purposes.

Caral

The oldest major city in the Americas, it is believed to be 1,000 years older than the cities previously known in the Western Hemisphere: -Stone buildings for officials, apartment buildings, etc. -Developed a sophisticated system of irrigation.

Chavin

These people built a temple with stones gathered from nearby hills on the coastal regions of modern-day Peru and Equador: -Temple surrounded by stone figures, depicting different gods and two pyramids.

Machu Picchu

This is a city location at an elevation of 8,000 feet, built on a lofty hilltop surrounded by mountain peaks far above the Urubamaba River. *Hardy a city, contained only about 200 buildings.

Chimor

This kingdom dominated South America until the Inca destroyed it and created a spectacular empire.

Topa Inca, Huayna Inca

Two successors of Pachacuti: -Along with Pachacuti, the boundaries fo the Inca Empire were extended as far as Equador, central Chile, and the edge of the Amazon basin.

Pachacuti

Under the leadership of this ruler, the Inca launched a campaign of conquest. *Eventually, the entire region was under control.