Get app
Step into the breathtaking peaks of the Andes and discover the incredible world of the Incas. How did they build, communicate, and thrive in one of the most rugged places on Earth?
Mountain Explorer 0–4 · History Enthusiast 5–8 · Master of Tahuantinsuyo 9–10
Tap the right answer
The Incas worshipped Inti, the sun god, as their patron deity. The emperor was considered a direct living descendant of the sun, and the most magnificent temples were covered in sheets of solid gold to reflect his light.
Photo: Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
Tap the right answer
Alpacas, tamed by Andean peoples thousands of years before the Incas, were central to Inca life and gave soft, warm wool. The even finer wool of the wild vicuña, a relative of the alpaca, was reserved for Inca royalty.
Photo: KKPCW, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tap the right answer
Cusco was the religious and administrative heart of the Inca Empire. The city was laid out in the shape of a sacred puma, with the monumental fortress of Sacsayhuamán forming the head.
Photo: tomscoffin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Tap the right answer
Maize, or corn, was a highly prized crop grown on agricultural terraces. It was not just eaten but also fermented to make a popular ceremonial beer called chicha, which was used in religious rituals.
Photo: de:Benutzer:Torox, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Tap the right answer
Without a written alphabet, the Incas used a system of knotted strings called quipus to record census data, taxes, and calendar information. The position of each knot and the color of each cord represented different numbers and categories.
Photo: Claus Ableiter, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Tap the right answer
Fit young messengers called chasquis ran in a relay system along the vast Inca road network. They could deliver messages and fresh fish from the coast to the Andes mountains at speeds of over a hundred miles a day.
Photo: Felipe Guamán Poma de Ayala (1616), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tap the right answer
Inca stonemasons carved massive rocks to fit together so precisely that not even a knife blade could slide between them. This mortarless design allowed the stones to dance and settle back into place during earthquakes.
Photo: Pethrus, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tap the right answer
Inca engineers braided thick cables from local ichu grass to create massive suspension bridges. These bridges were so sturdy they could support Spanish horses, and they were rebuilt every single year by local communities.
Photo: Rutahsa Adventures, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 1.0.
Tap the right answer
Potatoes were left out to freeze on cold Andean nights, then trampled and dried in the sun. The result, chuño, kept for years. Andean peoples made chuño long before the Incas, and they still make it today.
Photo: Eric in SF, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Tap the right answer
Quechua was the official language of the Inca Empire. Today, it is still spoken by about eight million people across the Andes, and it gave English everyday words like jerky, condor, and llama.
Want to make a quiz like this yourself? Do it on Votur, it's free.
Paste the code into your page. The player fits itself in, and every vote counts in Votur.
On WordPress, Ghost or Squarespace? Just paste the link of this page into your post.
This is how it looks
Also fun
