The Incas were a fierce warrior tribe that ruled Equador to central Chile between 1200 and 1535 AD .
The architecture of the Incan cities amazes scientists . They built their cities on the steep sided of the Andes Mountains . The cities had stone steps leading upto them and the building blocks were massive blocks of stone . These stones were so tightly fitted together that not even a blade could pass between them .
The Incas had a very strong hierarchial structure in their society .
The Sapa( priest ) , the ruler were at the top . Then were the councilors. After that came temple priests , regional commanders . The lowest level were farmers , workers etc . Even women could rise to the top and could occupy any position .
They developed a system of irrigation and this led to surplus food .
The Inca population prospered and grew . The Incas had a great army .
They build strong fortresses on the tops of mountains . The most famous Incan fortress is at Sacasahuman located at the Incan capital Cuzko .
The Incas also had a complex religious system . They worshiped the animal spirits and had complex religious rites. In Incan paintings the heaven are depicted by the Condor , the underworld by the Puma .
The incas also hhad a elaborate calendar. The sun temple( remember Tintin ) in Peru had the calendar inside it .
The Incas were very cruel people . The punishments were very severe .
They didnt have any prisons . Why ? because all punishments were by crusl deaths . Culprits were thrown off mountains , or had eyes , hands removed etc . They didnt need prisons .
The 40,000 memner Inca army was destroyed by the Spanish Army . In 1535 the inca sociaty was wiped out . One of the reason of the destruction of the Inca society( according to Discovery Channel ) was that when the Incas came in contact with the Spanish they also came in contact with bacteria/virus which the Europeans brought with them . The Europeans were immune to these virus . But the Incas had no defences . Epidemics caused the Inca society to perish . This also shows the destructive power a new bacteria/virus can have on a different/new population .
