CulLures Cf Amerlca

A llLLle of Lhe hlsLory

W lL was Lhe largesL emplre ln preColumblan
Amerlca
W 1he admlnlsLraLlve pollLlcal and mlllLary
cenLer of Lhe emplre was locaLed ln Cusco
ArchlLecLure
ArchlLecLure was by far Lhe mosL lmporLanL of
Lhe lnca arLs wlLh LexLlles reflecLlng moLlfs
LhaL were aL Lhelr helghL ln archlLecLure as an
example Lhe Machu lcchu slLe
lnca ArLlfacLs were made of gold
and oLher preclous meLals 1he
lnca Lmplre was large and
successful sLreLchlng along Lhe
wesLern parL of SouLh Amerlca
down Lhe Andes mounLalns 1he
lnca people were skllled crafLsmen
Lhey made [ewelry masks poLLery
LapesLrles muslcal lnsLrumenLs
baskeLs and oLher crafLs
1hls arLlfacLs have been found by
archaeologlsLs and Lell us many
Lhlngs LhaL we know abouL Lhe
lncas way of llfe
lnca weavlng was one of Lhe
greaLesL LexLlle arLs Lhe world has
ever seen 1hey used coLLon and Lhe
sofL wool of Lhe alpaca buL Lhey also
used Lhe exLremely flne wool of Lhe
vlcuna Lhe smallesL Amerlcan
camel
1he flnesL LexLlles were made ln Lhe
convenLs connecLed wlLh Lhe
1emples of Lhe Sun by Lhe chosen
women called Lhe vlrglns of Lhe
Sun who were Lralned ln Lhls
dlfflculL arL
Inca ottery
1he lnca arLlfacLs were beauLlful
ob[ecLs made of gold sllver copper and
bronze Lhe lnca poLLery sLyle was lnsplred
malnly from Chlmu arL 1hey usually
decoraLed Lhelr poLLery wlLh brlghL colors
of red yellow orange and black
Inca Instruments and Weapons
MosL SouLh
Amerlcan percusslon and
wlnd lnsLrumenLs daLe back Lo lnca
or prelnca Llmes lnsLrumenLs were
lnlLlally lnLroduced by Lhe Spanlsh
Lhough laLer Lhey may have been
adapLed Lo local condlLlons or
maLerlals
1he lncas had wars wlLh oLher clvlllzaLlons ln
Lhe area Lhe lnca army was Lhe mosL powerful
aL Lhe Llme 1he used helmeLs shlelds Lwo
handed wooden swords wlLh serraLed edges
and bronze or boneLlpped spears among
oLher sLuff
Ceramlcs and LexLlles
W Ceramlcs were palnLed uslng Lhe polychrome
Lechnlque porLraylng numerous moLlfs
lncludlng anlmals blrds waves fellnes and
geomeLrlc paLLerns found ln Lhe nazca sLyle of
ceramlcs
W ln place of a wrlLLen language Ceramlcs
porLrayed Lhe very baslc scenes of everyday
llfe lncludlng Lhe smelLlng of meLals
relaLlonshlps and scenes of Lrlbal warfare