Inca People - Culture PDF

Curriculum Connection Name: ________________________ 18 A1.2, A3.3 Background – Who are they? The Inca empire ruled over the west coast of South America from the...

Curriculum Connection Name: ________________________ 18 A1.2, A3.3 Background – Who are they? The Inca empire ruled over the west coast of South America from the early 1400s to 1532. The Inca are known for their complex government and system of roads. Everyone in the Inca civilization had a job, a home, and something to eat. Worldview – What did the Incas believe in? The Incas believed that their ruler, the Inca Sapa, was part god himself. They believed that the gods occupied three different realms – (1) the sky, (2) the inner earth, (3) the outer earth. The Incas believed in 5 different gods and goddesses. The most important of the gods was Inti, who was the god of the sun. They built huge beautiful temples to honour their gods. The walls and floors of these temples were covered in sheets of gold. The Incas also believed in an afterlife. They would embalm and mummify the bodies of the dead before burial. The Arts – Music, Dance, and Art The Inca were expert weavers and embroiderers. They would spin wool from alpacas and llamas to make colourful clothing for special occasions. Pottery was made for religious ceremonies and everyday items. Artists would decorate the pots with colourful patterns. They would make sculptures from precious stones such as turquoise. These stones would be used as jewelry. Society – How did the people interact with each other? The Inca society had 3 social classes. When you were born, you were put into one of the following classes and you could not move classes, no matter how hard you worked. The noble class was the rich and wealthy people. The public administrator class was below the noble class and these people worked for the government. The lowest class were the commoners who were farmers, merchants, and artisans. © Super Simple Sheets