Top 5 Facts about Incas
At the height of its powers this great empire was bigger than even the Aztecs and the Mayans. Welcome to http://www.WatchMojo.com and Top 5 Facts. In this instalment, we're counting down the most fascinating and surprising facts about the Incan Empire, which was the largest empire in the history of the Americas before the arrival of Christopher Columbus.
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#5: Incas Were First to Cultivate the Irish Potato
The potato is typically associated with the Irish, because potatoes were a major source of food for the Irish, especially during the winter. What you may not know, however, is that the first people to cultivate the potato were the Incas in Peru, way back in roughly 8,000 B.C. The Incas were very gifted farmers, especially considering the fact that they lived on mountainous terrain. They constructed a complex network of ditches to irrigate fields and terraced mountain slopes to prevent soil erosion. Sometime in the mid-16th century, sailors brought the potato back to Spain, and from there its cultivation spread across the continent.
#4: Some of the Greatest Surgeons of the Middle Ages
It’s hard to imagine 15th century brain surgery, but according to recent research, the Incas were actually very successful at performing trepanation. They typically used it on men who had been injured in combat. Survival rates for the surgery were around 90%, and studies have shown that there was a very low infection rate. Unfortunately for patients, there was no anaesthesia, so surgeons often used beer and tobacco to help alleviate some of the pain. Alcohol and cigarettes remain popular ways to self-medicate pain.
#3: The Incas Empired United 100 Different Ethnic Groups
When Pachacuti formed the Inca Empire in the mid-15th century, he needed to come up with a system to become an effective ruler. This wasn’t easy, as the area that composed the empire consisted of over 12 million people from 100 different ethnic groups. He did so by creating a very structured social system. The government also mandated a number of workdays for different professions, such as builders and farmers, and provided the people with food and clothing. The Incas also used a system of roadways, covering over 15,000 miles, to keep the empire connected.
#2: They Had No Written Language
Unlike the Aztecs or the Mayans, the Incas did not have a written language. Instead, they spoke Quechua, an incredibly diverse language that could be spoken by everyone within the empire. Instead of writing, they used a quipu, a device of their own invention. This device consisted of cords of different colours and lengths. The Incas would then use knots to record important dates or events. According to the Spanish, the Incas would also use oral language, art, and songs to commemorate specific events and maintain historical records. Once the Spanish conquered the Incas, however, they immediately applied the Roman alphabet to the language.
#1: The Dead Played a Role in Everyday Life
Like many Mesoamerican empires, the Incas viewed their emperors as Earthly gods. As such, it was believed that he had absolute power, and was essentially a dictator. This belief did not change once the emperor was dead. Like many other ancient Andean cultures, the Inca believed that the mummified remains of rulers were sacred, and they were regularly removed from their tombs to participate in ceremonies, be paraded around town, and be offered food and drink. Not sure if any of them ever said yes. Some Andean cultures even carried mummified rulers into battle!
So, how would you feel about worshipping your grandfather’s mummified body? And if we replaced written language with a series of knotted cords, would it improve YouTube comments? For more surgically precise Top 10s and mummified Top 5s, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
