Andean communities have a powerful musical tradition inherited from the . The was based on collective effort and their success outweighed the individual’s. This is the case of music in the Inca civilization, musicians joined to create music through cooperation and support. The purpose of music in this society was primarily spiritual and associated to religious rituals and wars, usually accompanied by singing that was high pitched and nasal. in South America started a process of political and cultural assimilation, a cultural transformation of a pagan society into …

According to chronicler Garcilazo de la Vega the Incas imposed a set of three laws on its citizens: “Ama Sua. Ama Llulla. Ama Quella” or “Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not be lazy”.  Inca law was based in a set of believes, customs and practices established by the Sapa Inca or his representatives. Regional leaders had the power to decide in matters of law however they would lose authority when the penalty was mutilation or death. Social stability in the was achieved by applying the laws to …

The Incas were an ancient people who in the 16th century controlled the greatest empire in the Americas.

The remote ancestors of the Incas were Stone Age hunters who crossed the Bering Strait from Asia to Alaska.

The Incas explained their origin through legends. There are two main legends: The Legend of the Ayar Brothers and the Legend of Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo who emerged from the waters of in .
How long did the Inca Empire last?
The Inca Empire lasted over 100 years from approximately 1438 to 1532.

The first Inca …

The Incas were a tribe in South America formed by ethnic Quechua people also known as Amerindians. In 1400AD they were a small highland tribe, one hundred years later in early the early 16th century the Incas rose to conquer and control the largest empire ever seen in the Americas forming the great The Inca Empire extended from what today is Ecuador in the north, Chile in the South, Bolivia in the east and limited by the in the west. In less than a century the Incas conquered …

Most of the Inca gold jewelry and artifacts was looted by the , melted and taken away to Spain. The largest part of the pieces shown in museums have been found by archeologist in burial grounds. They show us to a great extent the meaning and use of jewelry in the
Metalwork was a skill inherited from , the were not experts in metalwork but many conquered territories had skilled goldsmiths who were transferred to and to other important cities in the empire. For instance Ichmas and produced earrings, …

The best example of pottery produced before the days of the is found in the ceramic produced by the that thrived from 100 to 700 AD in the northern . The Moche produced large amounts of pottery aided by the use of molds to create large quantities of specific shapes. Their color pallet was mostly limited to red, black and white. They used anthropomorphic figures and animal faces and bodies to shape their ceramic. They were the only to incorporate realistic facial expressions and emotions in their pottery …

Ancient Andean weaving developed by and inherited and perfected by the is considered as one of the greatest textile in the world and is compared to finest textile developed by the ancient Egyptians.  The Incas used cotton, the wool of and the superior and rare wool of . Clothing made of the wool of vicuñas and guanacos was exclusively for the Inca and the nobility.
 

Vicuña yarn and fabric range from $1,800 to $3,000 per yard

One of the greatest weavers before the rise of the Incas was the …

The Incas were an artistic people who used materials available to them in nature and blended them creating many artistic forms in utilitarian ways. Inca art was practical, artifacts were used in everyday life. Their art as well as every aspect of their life had a , because they did not know science they had to attach powers to natural phenomena worshiping natural resources such as water streams or rocks, animals and almost anything related to nature.
The Sun or Inti was the most important god in the and since …

There were many pre-Columbian cultures that preceded the , some  by  millenia.  What we know of these pre-Inca civilizations is entirely from archeological excavations since they did not make use of a written language. Archeologists had deduce historical information from tools, art and buildings and interpret the decoration found on pottery and textile to understand their way of life. Pieces of Pre-Inca and Inca art are displayed in Peru’s archeological museums.
 

The first known city was the city of Caral located in the Supe Valley 200 km north of Lima, it …

Lake Titicaca, Peru is located in the department of Puno bordering Bolivia in the Andes Mountains. According to Inca religion it is where the first humans emerged to create the Inca empire.