The Inca Hides in Plain Slight Quiz

Answer: sun

MillionS UNderstood that great glowing disk in the sky.

Inti was the sun god of the Inca. He was also the patron god of the Inca Empire. In one story, he was the son of the god of civilization, Viracocha. Several temples throughout the empire were dedicated to Inti, where he was portrayed as a golden disk with a human face. A religious feast dedicated to Inti, Inti Raymi, occurred around June 24 each year.

Answer: Knots

I told you that it was HanK, NOT Steven, who was keeping the records.

Quipu was a method of record keeping used in the Inca Empire that used a series of knotted strings. The strings were often made of fibers made from animal wool or cotton. While these strings were extensively used in the empire, relatively few survive today. Modern scholars have limited knowledge today about how the quipu should be translated.

Answer: andes

CAN DEScent from a mountain occur safely or is an accident inevitable? (Note the "C" is not part of the word.)

The Andes are a mountain range that run the length of western South America. Much of the Inca Empire lay at a relatively high elevation. The people of the empire had adapted to this fact with a greater than average lung capacity to make most of the thinner air. The agriculture of the empire was adapted to the mountainous terrain, using terrace farming in many places.

Answer: llama

A successful shepherd wiLL AMAss a greater number of animals over time.

The llama was and is an important animal not only in the Inca Empire but in the lifestyle of the western South America. The llama was used for several purposes: as a source of meat, as a source of wool, and as a beast of burden. During the period of colonial control by Spain, llamas were used to bring ore from mines in the mountains. In more recent years, llamas have been exported to other countries.

Answer: potato

I placed the POT AT Otto's foot and handed him the pan also.

Potato was a staple food of the Inca. One way it was used was in chuno, made by freeze-drying potatoes. The combination of the cold night air in the Andes and bright sunlight assist in the preparation process. Though the process for making chuno predates the Inca Empire (13th century), i was a staple food of the empire. Still made today, properly made chuno can last for years without spoiling.

Answer: peru

The camPER Understood the guidelines of the nation that had to be followed.

The core of the Inca Empire could be found in land that is now part of the modern nation of Peru. The name Peru was given to the Spanish viceroyalty that was made up of a large portion of northern South America. Quechua, the language of the Inca Empire is one of the official languages of Peru today. The early evidence of human settlement in what is now Peru dates back to the 13th millennium BCE.

Answer: cusco

MarCUS COuld not understand why the journey to the capital was so difficult.

Cusco (or Cuzco) was the capital of the Inca Empire in the 15th and 16th centuries. It is thought that the Inca originated in its vicinity in the 12th century. UNESCO declared the city to be a World Heritage Site in 1983. The city in Inca times contained a number of large buildings made of stone. Some of the buildings of the Spanish colonial period were built over the sites of earlier Inca buildings.

Answer: coca

Seeking medical attention, ChiCO CAme to the infirmary.

Grown then as now in a large portion of South America, four different plants are classed as coca, from which one can draw the psychoactive alkaloid, cocaine. In a less processed form, the leaves of the coca plant were used in several ways in the Inca Empire, including some religious purposes. In addition, the leaves were used as an anaesthetic and could be chewed for an energy boost.

Answer: work

I don't care if it is StanislaW OR Kevin who completes the task.

Mit'a was a system of mandatory work or labor in the Inca Empire. Used on public works such as bridges and roads, it served as a form of "taxation" on individuals in the empire. Typically, males between the ages of 15 and 50 were required to perform mit'a during the part of the year when they were not busy supporting their families. During the period of Spanish colonial rule, a form of mit'a was used, though it had much less positive benefit for the local communities.

Answer: corn

I wonder whether I should share my food with MarC OR Nancy.

Corn was an important food for the Inca. One way ic could be used was to make chicha, a drink that could be fermented (alcoholic) or non-alcoholic. In the Inca Empire, chicha had some ceremonial uses. Though Corn is the most common root of the drink, it is sometimes made from other plants. Usually made in large batches, an unusual step in the preparation of chicha is having people chew on the corn and spit it into the vat. Preparation and consumption of chicha has continued into modern times.