The Inca society was a vertical hierarchical organization divided in four social classes. At the top of the stratum was the Sapa Inca, the most powerful person in the empire. Below was the royalty, comprised by the sons of the Sapa Inca and his close relatives. The third social class was the nobility which included royal relatives and those who attained distinction through their services such as priests and chiefs. At the bottom of the pyramidal social structure was the ayllu which included the majority of the population.
 

Ayllu workers gathering …

Understanding the Inca Civilization is not an easy task. Since they did not have a written language they did not leave a written record of their history which has been passed on orally from generation to generation in the form of myths and legends. The history of the Incas is endlessly fascinating. What we know from the Inca Civilization and how they lived is from discoveries made by archeologists. Inca artifacts, tools, textiles, pottery and art have help archeologist understand their culture and how it impacts modern Andean society in …

The name Cusco comes from the Aymara language qusqu wanka that means “rock of the owl”. According to one the , the myth of the Ayar brothers, Ayar Auca became an owl and flew to the location where they would settle to create the capital of the new empire, he converted into a rock to mark the chosen site.
Inca Manco Capac was the founder of the . The inner city of Cusco was laid out in the shape of a puma whose head was the fortress of Sacsahuaman. His body …

The Inca emperors ruled an enormous empire they called Tawantinsuyu or the Land of the Four Quarters with as its capital. The Incas conquered a vast territory using reciprocity or alliances. Once the Incas arrived in a new region they tried to establish a relationship with the tribe’s head. He offered gifts such as wool clothing, coca leaves and mullu (shell believed to be food for the Gods). If the gifts were accepted they also accepted the Inca’s authority. To consolidate this alliance they established family ties. If they …

The Inca or the Sapa Inca was the emperor. There was only one Inca and no other person was called Inca but overtime this name became the term for the society in general. The Sapa Inca was polygamous and he usually married his sister who was his most important wife, she was known as the Coya. Polygamy was common among the royalty and upper classes and for those who could afford it. The Sapa Inca and the Coya lived in separate palaces which were decorated grandly.

Inca dynasty from the Peruvian …

Inca religion was one of the main concerns of the Spanish Conquerors since their arrival to the new world, understanding it was vital  to successfully convert the population into Catholicism. However, despite of their genuine interest they created an impartial view of Andean religion since they tried to understand it from the Catholic point of view. They identified Inca religion as heretic and as the work of the devil. From Inca mythical stories they selected those Inca divinities closer to the Catholic god and those unnecessary gods that were going …