The New Childrens Encyclopedia

198

Incas

A tribe of farmers led by their king,

Manco Cápac, settled in Cuzco in the

highlands of Peru during the 1100s.

Like the Aztecs, they were later to form

a strong and powerful warrior-nation.

Map of empires

At the height of their

empires, the Aztecs

ruled over about six

million people in

central and southern

Mexico and the Incas

ruled over 12 million

people living along

the Pacific coast and in

the Andes Mountains. The Great Temple

u MANCO CAPAC

First ruler of the Incas

Tenochtitlán

Around 1325, the Aztecs began building their

vast capital city, Tenochtitlán, in the center of

Lake Texcoco. Several highways linked the

island-city to the mainland. In

the center was a complex of

religious buildings

surrounded by

palaces, warrior

schools, and a ball

court for playing a

game called ulama.

Aztecs

At the end of the 1100s, a tribe of

hunters and gatherers from northern

Mexico migrated south and, during

the 1200s, settled as farmers on the

islands of Lake Texcoco in the Valley

of central Mexico.

u GOLD Many precious

metals, such as gold, were

found in South America

and metalworking was a

popular craft.

u QUIPU The Incas used

ropes with different-sized knots

to record information about

their expanding empire.

Knotted strings

Gold statue

1300s

■ Inca kings were called capac.

■ The Inca language was quechua and

the Aztec language was nahuatl.

■ Both civilizations worshiped many

gods and performed human sacrifices.

■ The Incas traded with goods and

services and the Aztecs traded with

cacao beans and goods.

FAST FACTS

Atlantic Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Aztecs

Incas

, CACAO A bitter-

tasting chocolate drink

was made using the beans

of the cacao plant.

CULTURES ESTABLISHED

The Aztec and Inca tribes create

settlements and increase in population.

HISTORY AND POLITICS

Pod Beans