Arts and technology Inca Empire

1 arts , technology

1.1 monumental architecture
1.2 measures, calendrics , mathematics
1.3 ceramics, precious metals , textiles
1.4 communication , medicine
1.5 coca
1.6 weapons, armor , warfare
1.7 flag

arts , technology
monumental architecture




francisco pizarro

architecture important of incan arts, textiles reflecting architectural motifs. notable example machu picchu, constructed inca engineers. prime inca structures made of stone blocks fit knife not fitted through stonework. these constructs have survived centuries, no use of mortar sustain them.

this process first used on large scale pucara (ca. 300 bc–ad 300) peoples south in lake titicaca , later in city of tiwanaku (ca. ad 400–1100) in present-day bolivia. rocks sculpted fit repeatedly lowering rock onto , carving away sections on lower rock dust compressed. tight fit , concavity on lower rocks made them extraordinarily stable, despite ongoing challenge of earthquakes , volcanic activity.

measures, calendrics , mathematics

inca tunic



tokapu. textiles worn inca elite consisting of geometric figures enclosed rectangles or squares. there evidence designs ideographic language



quipu, 15th century. brooklyn museum

physical measures used inca based on human body parts. units included fingers, distance thumb forefinger, palms, cubits , wingspans. basic distance unit thatkiy or thatki, or 1 pace. next largest unit reported cobo topo or tupu, measuring 6,000 thatkiys, or 7.7 km (4.8 mi); careful study has shown range of 4.0 6.3 km (2.5 3.9 mi) likely. next wamani, composed of 30 topos (roughly 232 km or 144 mi). measure area, 25 50 wingspans used, reckoned in topos (roughly 3,280 km or 1,270 sq mi). seems distance interpreted 1 day s walk; distance between tambo way-stations varies in terms of distance, far less in terms of time walk distance.

inca calendars tied astronomy. inca astronomers understood equinoxes, solstices , zenith passages, along venus cycle. not, however, predict eclipses. inca calendar lunisolar, 2 calendars maintained in parallel, 1 solar , 1 lunar. 12 lunar months fall 11 days short of full 365-day solar year, in charge of calendar had adjust every winter solstice. each lunar month marked festivals , rituals. apparently, days of week not named , days not grouped weeks. similarly, months not grouped seasons. time during day not measured in hours or minutes, in terms of how far sun had travelled or in how long had taken perform task.

the sophistication of inca administration, calendrics , engineering required facility numbers. numerical information stored in knots of quipu strings, allowing compact storage of large numbers. these numbers stored in base-10 digits, same base used quechua language , in administrative , military units. these numbers, stored in quipu, calculated on yupanas, grids squares of positionally varying mathematical values, perhaps functioning abacus. calculation facilitated moving piles of tokens, seeds or pebbles between compartments of yupana. inca mathematics @ least allowed division of integers integers or fractions , multiplication of integers , fractions.

according mid-17th-century jesuit chronicler bernabé cobo, inca designated officials perform accounting-related tasks. these officials called quipo camayos. study of khipu sample va 42527 (museum für völkerkunde, berlin) revealed numbers arranged in calendrically significant patterns used agricultural purposes in farm account books kept khipukamayuq (accountant or warehouse keeper) facilitate closing of accounting books.

ceramics, precious metals , textiles

camelid conopa, 1470–1532, brooklyn museum, small stone figurines, or conopas, of llamas , alpacas common ritual effigies used in highlands of peru , bolivia. these devotional objects buried in animals corrals bring protection , prosperity owners , fertility herds. cylindrical cavities in backs filled offerings gods in form of mixture including animal fat, coca leaves, maize kernels , seashells.

ceramics painted using polychrome technique portraying numerous motifs including animals, birds, waves, felines (popular in chavin culture) , geometric patterns found in nazca style of ceramics. in culture without written language, ceramics portrayed basic scenes of everyday life, including smelting of metals, relationships , scenes of tribal warfare. distinctive inca ceramic objects cusco bottles or aryballos . many of these pieces on display in lima in larco archaeological museum , national museum of archaeology, anthropology , history.

almost of gold , silver work of incan empire melted down conquistadors.

communication , medicine

the inca recorded information on assemblages of knotted strings, known quipu, although can no longer decoded. thought quipu used mnemonic devices or record numerical data. quipus believed record history , literature.

the inca made many discoveries in medicine. performed successful skull surgery, cutting holes in skull alleviate fluid buildup , inflammation caused head wounds. many skull surgeries performed inca surgeons successful. survival rates 80–90%, compared 30% before inca times.

coca

coca leaves

the incas revered coca plant sacred/magical. leaves used in moderate amounts lessen hunger , pain during work, used religious , health purposes. spaniards took advantage of effects of chewing coca leaves. chasqui, messengers ran throughout empire deliver messages, chewed coca leaves energy. coca leaves used anaesthetic during surgeries.

weapons, armor , warfare

the battle of maule between incas (right) , mapuches (left)

the inca army powerful @ time, because turn ordinary villager or farmer soldier. every able bodied male inca of fighting age had take part in war in capacity @ least once , prepare warfare again when needed. time empire reached largest size, every section of empire contributed in setting army war.

the incas had no iron or steel , weapons not more effective of opponents. went battle drums beating , trumpets blowing. armor included:

helmets made of wood, copper, bronze, cane, or animal skin; adorned feathers
round or square shields made wood or hide
cloth tunics padded cotton , small wooden planks protect spine.

the inca weaponry included:

bronze or bone-tipped spears
clubs stone , spiked metal heads
woolen slings , stones
stone or copper headed battle-axes
bolas (stones fastened lengths of cord)

roads allowed quick movement (on foot) inca army , shelters called tambo , storage silos called qullqas built 1 day s travelling distance each other, army on campaign fed , rested. can seen in names of ruins such ollantay tambo, or lord s storehouse. these set inca , entourage have supplies (and possibly shelter) ready traveled.

flag

chronicles , references 16th , 17th centuries support idea of banner. however, represented inca (emperor), not empire.

francisco lópez de jerez wrote in 1534:

... todos venían repartidos en sus escuadras con sus banderas y capitanes que los mandan, con tanto concierto como turcos.

(... all of them came distributed squads, flags , captains commanding them, well-ordered turks.)

chronicler bernabé cobo wrote:

the royal standard or banner small square flag, ten or twelve spans around, made of cotton or wool cloth, placed on end of long staff, stretched , stiff such did not wave in air , on each king painted arms , emblems, each 1 chose different ones, though sign of incas rainbow , 2 parallel snakes along width tassel crown, each king used add badge or blazon preferred, lion, eagle , other figures.

(... el guión o estandarte real era una banderilla cuadrada y pequeña, de diez o doce palmos de ruedo, hecha de lienzo de algodón o de lana, iba puesta en el remate de una asta larga, tendida y tiesa, sin que ondease al aire, y en ella pintaba cada rey sus armas y divisas, porque cada uno las escogía diferentes, aunque las generales de los incas eran el arco celeste y dos culebras tendidas lo largo paralelas con la borda que le servía de corona, las cuales solía añadir por divisa y blasón cada rey las que le parecía, como un león, un águila y otras figuras.)

-bernabé cobo, historia del nuevo mundo (1653)

guaman poma s 1615 book, el primer nueva corónica y buen gobierno, shows numerous line drawings of inca flags. in 1847 book history of conquest of peru, william h. prescott ... says in inca army each company had particular banner , imperial standard, high above all, displayed glittering device of rainbow, armorial ensign of incas. 1917 world flags book says inca heir-apparent ... entitled display royal standard of rainbow in military campaigns.

in modern times rainbow flag has been wrongly associated tawantinsuyu , displayed symbol of inca heritage groups in peru , bolivia. city of cusco flies rainbow flag, official flag of city. peruvian president alejandro toledo (2001–2006) flew rainbow flag in lima s presidential palace. however, according peruvian historiography, inca empire never had flag. peruvian historian maría rostworowski said, bet life, inca never had flag, never existed, no chronicler mentioned . also, peruvian newspaper el comercio, flag dates first decades of 20th century, , congress of republic of peru has determined flag fake citing conclusion of national academy of peruvian history:

official use of wrongly called tawantinsuyu flag mistake. in pre-hispanic andean world there did not exist concept of flag, did not belong historic context .

national academy of peruvian history