How Did The Inca Communicate

Inca Communication Like the ancient West African civilizations, the Inca did not develop a written language. They did, however have knowledge of advanced mathematics. They used knotted string called quipu to keep track of population, taxes, amount of food in storehouses, etc. The quipu worked like an abacus in that different knots at various places on the string represented different places on the number line.

The Inca were South American Indian people who ruled one of the largest and richest empires in the America 's. The Inca Empire began to expand about 1438 and occupied a vast region that centered on the capital, Cusco, in southern Peru. Within a hundred years, the Inca conquered a number of different tribes expanding their area of influence
They developed an extensive network of roads and bridges, which were used by runners, traders and the general population. Rapid communication and trade was achieved through a relay system of runners. Messages and goods could be sent up to 250 miles in one day (Hos-McGrane 3). The Incas had an incredible system of roads. One road ran almost the entire length of the South American Pacific coast. Since the Incas lived in the Andes Mountains, the roads took great engineering and architectural skill to build. On the coast, the roads were not surfaced and were marked only by tree trunks The Incas paved their highland roads with flat stones and built stone walls to prevent travelers from falling off cliffs. Referred to as an all-weather highway system, the over 14,000 miles of Inca roads were an astonishing and reliable precursor to the advent of the automobile. Communication and transport was efficient and speedy, linking the mountain peoples and lowland desert dwellers with Cuzco. Building materials and ceremonial processions traveled thousands of miles along the roads that still exist in remarkably good condition today (Morris & Von Hagen
Four hundred years ago the fabulous wealth in gold and silver possessed by these people was discovered, then systematically pillaged and plundered by Spanish conquistadors. The booty they carried home altered the whole European economic system. In their wake, they left a highly developed civilization in tatters. That a single government could control many diverse tribes, many of which were secreted in the most obscure of mountain hideaways, was simply remarkable. (Moseley 8)Bibliography1 Patterson, Thomas C.1991, The Inca Empire: The Formation and Disintegration of a Pre-Capitalist State. Berg, New York, Oxford.

2 Salentiny, Fernand. Machu Picchu. 1979 Umschau Verlag Breidenstein KG, Frankfurt am Main3 Ms Hos-McGrane 1997 http://www.internet-at-work.com/hos_mcgrane/inca/eg_inca_menu14 Morris, Craig & Von Hagen, Adriana 1993. The Inka Empire and its Andean Origins. Abbeville Press, New York5 Hos-McGrane6Von Hagen, Victor W., INCAS., Vol. 12, Colliers Encyclopedia CD-ROM, 02-28-19967 Morris8 Moseley, Michael E.1992, The Incas and Their Ancestors. Thames and Hudson Ltd., LondonHardman, Chris Source: Americas; Sep/Oct2006, Vol. 58 Issue 5, p48-55, 8pCrystal, Ellie 2006 Inca Civilization