Transcript Inca Engineering - jeffersonacademy.org

Inca Engineering
Mrs. Allred
5th Grade
Inca Roads
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Incas were incredible road
builders.
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Helped make trade
possible.
Enabled the army to travel
quickly to outlying
territories.
The main road was known
as the Royal Road.
There were many other
roads that crossed the
Royal Road.
The Royal Road
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stretched for more
than 2,000 miles.
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Longest until the 1800s
24 ft wide for most of
its length.
It crossed mountains,
valleys, deserts, and
swamps.
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Trees provided shade
Canal provided water
Roadside storehouses
for food.
Royal Road (Continued)
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Parts were packed dirt and
other parts were paved.
Builders fit paving stones
together like pieces of a
jigsaw.
Incas did not have mortar,
like modern builders.
They cut each stone to fit
perfectly, so that it would
stay together without
mortar.
Why was the Royal Road such an
impressive engineering feat?
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It was 24 ft. wide, more than 2,000 miles
long, and they built it without modern
tools.
Inca Bridges
In order to build roads across the
mountains, streams, and canyons of
South America, the Incas had to build lots
of bridges.
 The Incas built an impressive bridge over
the Apurímac River, in Peru.
 It is a suspension bridge, held together by
enormous strands of rope.
 This bridge held together from 1350 to
1890 (More than 500 years).
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Engineering & Farming
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Farming in the mountains is almost
impossible.
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Steep incline makes plowing, planting, and
harvesting difficult.
In heavy downpours, water runs downhill and
washes out crops.
They built terraces into the sides of the
mountains.

Terrace: a flat piece of land carved out of the side of
a mountain or hill.
Terraces
Expanding the Empire
Built their empire by conquering other
people.
 Performed some human sacrifices for
religious purposes, but didn’t typically
sacrifice conquered people. They wanted
them to become loyal Inca subjects.
 They taught them the Inca language and
religion.
 Cooperative subjects were left alone,
uncooperative were forced to behave.
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2. How did the Incas treat people they
conquered?
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They taught them the Inca language and
religion. Cooperative people were left
alone.
Keeping It All Together
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They did not have a writing system.
They invented a device for counting and recordkeeping. It was called a quipu (KEE poo).
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A piece of string with shorter strings of various colors.
Government officials tied knots to record how many
warrior were headed for a village or how much corn was
in the storehouse.
Messengers were also trained to run short
distances at great speeds to carry news
throughout the village.
How did the Incas keep their empire
together without a written language?
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They had messengers and a device called
a quipu for counting and keeping record.
City in the Clouds
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Machu Picchu (MAH choo PEEK choo)
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Mountain fortress located about 50 miles
northwest of Cuzco.
It sits in a high valley, between two peaks of
the Andes.
Ruins of an open plaza, a temple, and a palace
with terraces built into the hillside.
More than 7,000 feet above sea level.
Machu Picchu: They lived in an organized
community that had a center where people could meet.
The terraces also tell us that they farmed.
Pros & Cons of being an Inca
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They didn’t have a lot
of human sacrifices.
They were great
engineers.
They had roads.
They made sure
everyone had food
and other needed
supplies.
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They had to obey the
Sapa Inca.
They were only
allowed to keep some
of the food they grew.
Some of them lived in
the mountains where
it was cold.
They worked really
hard.
The End for the Aztecs
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Hernán Cortés
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A Spanish explorer who had taken part in the
conquest of Cuba a few years earlier.
Sailed to Central America in search of riches.
Montezuma thought that Cortés was a god who
had come down to earth, so he sent gifts to
honor him.
Montezuma’s gifts caught his interest.
When he arrived, Montezuma welcomed him
and treated him as an honored guest.
Cortés the Conqueror
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After a while, the Spanish grew nervous
and took Montezuma hostage.
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They ordered the Aztecs to stop the sacrifices.
They killed hundreds of priests during a
religious ceremony.
The Aztecs fought back and many were killed
on both sides, including Montezuma.
The Spanish fled, but came back with allies.
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They surrounded the capital, Tenochtitlán.
Aztecs were starving and suffering from smallpox.
Tenochtitlán fell in August of 1521.
The End for the Incas
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A few years later, the Incas had a similar
experience to that of the Aztec’s.
They heard reports of bearded ones with white
skins who were masters of lightning and thunder.
The white travelers brought illness and infections
that spread rapidly.
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Thousands fell ill and died.
The Sapa Inca died and two of his sons claimed
the throne.
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Civil War broke out and more Incas died.
Atahualpa became the new Sapa Inca.
Francisco Pizarro
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He heard rumors of an empire in South America
that was wealthier than the Aztec Empire.
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He led a group of about 160 men.
They marched toward Cuzco.
The Sapa Inca agreed to meet with Pizarro, but it
was a trap.
Pizarro insulted Atahualpa by handing him a
Catholic prayer book and when he threw it down,
Pizarro gave the signal for attack.
The Spanish massacred thousands of unarmed
Incas and took Atahualpa as a prisoner.
A Deadly Bargain
Atahualpa offered Pizarro a room full of
gold for his freedom.
 Pizarro took the gold, but had him
executed anyway.
 The Sapa Inca’s death was the beginning
of the end for the Inca Empire.
 In 20 years, the Spaniards had destroyed
two mighty empires and set up a new
empire of their own.
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Questions
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1. How was the reaction of Montezuma II and Atahualpa to
the Spaniards’ arrival?
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How did bad feelings within the Aztec Empire help the
Spaniards?
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People who had been conquered by the Aztecs wanted revenge
and were willing to help the Spaniards.
What other factors allowed the Spanish to rapidly
overthrow the Aztec and Inca Empires.
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They both allowed the Spaniards easy access to their empires.
Other factors included European diseases and advanced
weapons. The Inca and Aztecs welcomed them and Inca roads
allowed easy access to cities.
The Spaniards received a surprisingly warm greeting from
the Inca people. Why do you think that was?
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The Spaniards looked like Inca and Aztec gods.