Inca
Pre-Columbian Peruvian
The Inca were the indigenous people of the Andes who built a vast empire in South America before Spanish conquest in the 16th century.
The term refers both to the civilization and to its ruling elite, particularly the emperor.
Inca also describes anything relating to this culture: Inca ruins, Inca gold, the Inca trail to Machu Picchu.
Incan sanctuary in Peru
- ruinsDecayed structural remains
- excavationAct of unearthing
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- citadelFortified urban stronghold
stonework · masonry · pottery · mummies · quipu · textiles · metalwork · preservation
Raised flat outdoor areas
- irrigationArtificial water supply for agriculture
- maizeCob-bearing cereal crop
- potatoesEdible underground tubers
- quinoaEdible seed from Andes
coca · crops · cultivation · harvest · chicha · freeze-drying · storehouses · llama
Quechua name for realm
- CuzcoFormer Incan imperial seat
- expansionIncrease in scope
- administrationOrganizational oversight and control
- tributeOffering of respect
roads · provinces · annexation · succession · dynasty
South American western range
- CuscoFormer Inca imperial seat
- TiticacaHighest large lake
- cordilleraLinked mountain ranges
- altitudeMeasured height above reference
highlands · valleys · mountains · Peru · Ecuador · Bolivia · Chile · Colombia
Giving up something precious
- mummificationPreserving bodies after death
- divinationForetelling through mystical means
- oracleAuthoritative wisdom source
- festivalsOrganized communal celebrations
priesthood · offerings · cosmology · afterlife · ancestor worship · sacred · temples · rituals
Conquistador of Peru
- conquistadorsSpanish colonial soldiers
- SpanishLanguage of Iberia
- colonizationForeign territorial takeover
- fallDescend under gravity
ransom · execution · smallpox · epidemic · resistance · encomienda · subjugation · plunder
System of symbolic communication
- indigenousOriginating in a region
- bilingualismProficiency in two languages
- dialectsRegional language variations
- vocabularyOne's word collection
grammar · agglutinative · speakers · descendants · oral tradition · folklore · traditions · customs
Machu Picchu
Incan sanctuary in Peru
- ruinsDecayed structural remains
- excavationAct of unearthing
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
citadel · stonework · masonry · pottery · mummies · quipu · textiles · metalwork · preservation · discovery
terraces
Raised flat outdoor areas
- irrigationArtificial water supply for agriculture
- maizeCob-bearing cereal crop
- potatoesEdible underground tubers
quinoa · coca · crops · cultivation · harvest · chicha · freeze-drying · storehouses · llama · alpaca
Tawantinsuyu
Quechua name for realm
- CuzcoFormer Incan imperial seat
- expansionIncrease in scope
- administrationOrganizational oversight and control
tribute · roads · provinces · annexation · succession · dynasty
Andes
South American western range
- CuscoFormer Inca imperial seat
- TiticacaHighest large lake
- cordilleraLinked mountain ranges
altitude · highlands · valleys · mountains · Peru · Ecuador · Bolivia · Chile · Colombia · sierra
sacrifice
Giving up something precious
- mummificationPreserving bodies after death
- divinationForetelling through mystical means
- oracleAuthoritative wisdom source
festivals · priesthood · offerings · cosmology · afterlife · ancestor worship · sacred · temples · rituals · coca
Pizarro
Conquistador of Peru
- conquistadorsSpanish colonial soldiers
- SpanishLanguage of Iberia
- colonizationForeign territorial takeover
fall · ransom · execution · smallpox · epidemic · resistance · encomienda · subjugation · plunder · destruction
language
System of symbolic communication
- indigenousOriginating in a region
- bilingualismProficiency in two languages
- dialectsRegional language variations
vocabulary · grammar · agglutinative · speakers · descendants · oral tradition · folklore · traditions · customs · heritage
- Lost CivilizationsAtlantis, Pompeii, Troy, Babylon, Mycenae
- Ancient CulturesAztec, Mayan, Olmec, Minoan, Mycenaean
- Indigenous AmericasQuechua, Maya, Guarani, Aztec, Arawak
- Mountain culturesTibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Machu Picchu, Cusco
- Native American PeoplesAztec, Maya, Navajo, Cherokee, Apache
- Pre-ColumbianAztec, Maya, Olmec, Mesoamerica, Teotihuacan
IncaAztec
Ancient Mexican civilization
Maya · Olmec · Toltec · Zapotec · Teotihuacan
- Inca EmpirePre-Columbian Andean state
- Inca ruinsRemains of Andean civilization
- Inca TrailHistoric Andean hiking route
- Inca civilizationAndean empire before conquest
- Incan empireAncient Andean civilization