Inca

Inca, Native American empire in the western region of South America which, at the time of the Spanish conquest, occupied what is now Peru, parts of Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina. It extended some 3,000 mi (4,800 km) from north to south, stretching back between 150 and 250 mi (240 and 400 km) from the narrow Pacific coastal plain into the high Andes. The name “Inca” refers to the people of the empire and is also the title of the ruler. Communications were maintained along brilliantly engineered and extensive roads, carried over the sheer Andean gorges by fiber cable suspension bridges. Trained relay runners carried messages 150 mi (240 km) a day and the army had quick access to trouble spots. Restive subject tribes were resettled near Cuzco, the capital. Detailed surveys of new conquests were recorded by quipu, a mnemonic device using knotted cords. Writing, like draft animals and wheeled transport, was unknown; so too was monetary currency. Taxation and tribute were levied in the form of labor services. In other respects the culture was highly advanced. At sites such as Machu Picchu, Inca architects raised some of the world's finest stone structures; precious metals from government-controlled mines were worked by skilled goldsmiths; bronze was also used; ceramic and textile design was outstanding. Agriculture was based on elaborate irrigation and hillside terracing. The Spanish domination of the Incas began with the arrival (1532) of Francisco Pizarro, who executed the Incan emperor and conquered their cities.