Interesting facts about the Incas

Interesting facts about the Incas will concern the culture, everyday life, occupations, and achievements of this people. The Incas, who lived in South America, are known all over the world because they managed to achieve great heights in various fields. Archaeologists are still actively studying the territories where the representatives of this empire lived.

So, here are the most interesting facts about the Incas.

The 15 most interesting facts about the Incas
According to scientists, by 1527 the area of the Inca Empire reached 2 million square kilometers, which is three times larger than the territory of contemporary Ukraine.
This civilization existed for about 100 years, until it was conquered by the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century. The last Inca emperor, Atahualpa, was sentenced to death on July 26, 1533.
Did you know that the Incas knew the technology to build very long suspension bridges? They used twisted fibers of grass and alpaca wool for this purpose. The bridge leading to Machu Picchu, for example, was 76 m long and only a few tens of centimeters wide.
Surprisingly, for all their achievements, the Incas did not invent the wheel. At least scientists have not found any evidence that they used the wheel.

The Incas loved potatoes so much that they grew over 3,000 different varieties!
When the Spanish conquered the Inca Empire, they saw potatoes for the first time. They brought it to Europe, and it spread all over the world.
The Incas made outstanding advances in farming, managing to build a system of terraces and irrigation to grow various crops. By means of stepped platforms equipped with an intricate drainage system they were able to cultivate up to 1 million hectares of land.
As in Ancient Egypt (see interesting facts about Ancient Egypt) the Incas worshipped the Sun, the deity Inti. In this regard, they built a large complex for the worship of Inti.
An interesting fact is that the Incas had amazing astronomical knowledge. They closely watched the movements of the stars, which they used as a reference point for planting and harvesting.
The Incas had several observatories, including the Coricancha in Cuzco, which was entirely covered in gold.
When times of hardship or famine came, the Incas resorted to human sacrifice. The victims were usually adolescents, and lying on the altar was considered a great honor.
The Incas successfully used a sundial, observing the movement of shadows during the day.
The Incas had no written language – of all the Bronze Age civilizations, they were the only ones who did not have their own writing system.
The Incas were great builders. They developed a unique method of construction that did not require any mortar. There are still buildings where some stones weigh more than 100 tons.
Stones were stacked with amazing accuracy, and the masonry itself was characterized by “castle stone” with many corners, to which all other blocks fit. It is curious that in Machu Picchu one can see a similar stone with 32 corners.