Their buildings have proven earthquake resistant for 500 years, today they serve as foundations for many buildings. The Incas were skilled stonemasons, they used granite and limestone to build their cities and forts to protect them.
System of roads and bridges
The Incas were really good engineers. They built a system of roads and bridges across the roughest terrains of the Andes. Through their system of collective labor and the most advanced centralized economy, the Incas were able to secure unlimited manual labor.
What is this society best known for?
The Inca Empire is known for being the most powerful and richest pre-Columbian empire in the Americas. It’s also famous for its architectural marvels, like Sacsayhuaman and Manchu Picchu. It is also known for its methods of communication.
Art
Much of their artistic expression was used in everyday life and had a religious meaning.* Inca masks: A gold-sheet mask representing the sun god Inti. The design is typical of masks of Inti with zig-zag rays bursting from the head and ending in human faces or figures.
History
Jan 1, 1200 (Inca Empire founded)
Jan 1, 1450 (Pachacuti becomes emperor)
Jan 1, 1455 (Machu Picchu started)
Jan 1, 1526 (Spaniards find the Inca empire)
Jan 1, 1532 (Spaniards start conquest of the Inca Empire)
Jan 1, 1533 (Atahualpa wins the civil war)
Jan 1, 1534 (Manco Inca becomes emperor)
Jan 1, 1572 (Downfall of the Incas)
Religion an mixture of ceremonies, practices, beliefs, varied forms of belief in objects having magical powers, and nature worship The Inca believed that their gods had three different realms. The sky (Hanan Pacha), the inner earth (Uku Pacha), and the outer earth (Cay pacha).
Inti was the most important of the gods to the Inca. He was the god of the sun. The emperor Inca Sapa, was said to be a descendent of Inti.
Decline
The Inca Empire came to an end when it was conquered by the Spanish empire. The empire was actually already weak when they arrived as the Inca were in civil war; fought between HuГЎscar and Atahualpa over the succession of the imperial throne. The Spanish troops were hidden at the time and then suddenly attacked.