Los Incas- Why the Inca tribe is unique

When I went to Peru, one of the things I most recognized from it was the Inca tribe. I learned about it in history books, my teachers told me that they are the biggest tribe in South America, and even my preschool teacher was from Peru and brought back souvenirs for us. I never knew that 6 years later I would be exploring the world and my very own shoes were touching the ground where once long ago, a local Inca citizen was walking as well.

The Inca citizens were very intelligent in how they would run their tribe. Now that I have explored multiple sites of the Incas, I can now tell you 5 amazing ways that the Incas had a unique tribe.

1. They believed in equality.

The Inca tribe believed in equality way before all modern-day countries do. Still, now, the USA has had problems ( and still does ) with voting rights, gun rights, and so many more. The Incas on the other hand, had a male and female leader 500 years ago. They treated men and women the same, and everyone was equal.

2. Everyone helped with the tribe.

All people who were part of the Inca tribe had a special part. If one person was good at running, then they would be an inca runner. If another person was excellent at weaving, then they would be a weaver. Everyone helped run the tribe, and they majorly believed in teamwork. They believed that each person had a special gift, and the elders would help them find their gift. People felt like they were contributing their gift to the kingdom, and helped make the tribe more powerful.

3. They domesticated a ton of food.

Inca people were so smart that all the modern-day potatoes, corn, and tomatoes you eat come from the domestication of the Incas. Potatoes used to be small, bitter, and unedible. The Incas domesticated them so now they are used every day now, and it's known worldwide. The Incas domesticated 1,000+ types of potatoes, 100+ types of corn, and 20+ types of tomatoes! They created a sophisticated laboratory where they could experiment with breeding new seeds and planting them in different types of soils to create new plants. See the picture section below for the pictures of the site where the Incas domesticated the food!

4. They kept their food stored secretly.

The Incas had a lot of grown produce, and while the weather per year isn't too predictable, the Incas saved 40% of all their produce in secret storage up on hills. They saved so much every year that when the Spanish came, it took the whole Spanish army 35 years to eat the entire savings! The Incas also used natural cooling devices, where they cut tiny squares into the storage walls and let wind pass by, keeping food a lot fresher for a lot longer.

5. They were resourceful.

The Inca tribe was very resourceful with the items that they had. They made different colorings for yarn using cactus, lime, and other natural plants. They used alpaca hair for a lot of their yarn-weaving items and used hardy plants that animals used to chew their teeth down on for basket making. They used feathers, plants, skins, ceramics and so many more to create all their fascinating items.

Conclusion

The Inca tribe is one of the most sophisticated tribes to ever exist. The tribe is one of the biggest tribes to live in South America and stretches from Colombia to northern Chile and Argentina. The Incas had so many ideas that we can still learn from today. It's no doubt that the Inca tribe is one of the smartest, and most historical tribes to ever exist. Remember that every time you eat a french fry with ketchup, corn on the cob, and any other food that you love with potatoes, corn, and tomatoes, you thank the Incas for making them as yummy and delicious as they are today. Thank you to the Inca tribe for giving us the history, theories, and food that you shared with us.

Photos

The site that the Incas domesticated their food in.

Machu Pichu is a hidden city in the mountains where some Incas once lived. (the brown-looking thing is a llama and a fun fact is that the Incas domesticated the llama!)

Overhead look of Machu Picchu