Life in the Inca World
How do we know about the Inca world? We owe many thanks to Huaman Poma, the son of an Inca chief, who spent 30 years between 1567 and 1615 traveling around the lands of Tahuantinsuyu writing and illustrating what life was like in the Inca empire before, during, and after the Spanish Conquest. He sent The First New Chronicle and Good Government to the king of Spain, pleading for better treatment for his people. Apparently, the king never saw it. But the descriptions and drawings in Huaman Poma's book have been very valuable in showing us Inca life.
The main foods of the Incas were potatoes, corn and quinoa, a high-protein grain. Potatoes were so basic that they grew more than 200 kinds and developed ways to freeze-dry them so that they could be stored for long periods of time. The potato was so important to the Incas that they used the length of time it takes to boil a potato as their way of measuring time.
Would you believe that guinea pigs were the Incas' main source of meat? Raised in people's homes, they were tamed easily and fed scraps until they were needed for dinner. Then they were roasted or boiled in a stew. Today they are part of the diet in South America.
Llamas and alpacas were very valuable to the Incas. Raised for thousands of years before the rise of the Inca Empire, the Incas had huge herds which they used for fertilizer, fuel, sacrifices, meat, leather, needles, flutes, and beads. Llamas were also used for pack animals. The coarse hair of the llama was woven to make sacks, heavy blankets, and ropes. Alpacas had softer wool, which was woven into clothing.
A related animal was the vicuna, with the softest, finest wool -- fit only for clothing for the Sapa Inca and his nobles.
Many people have heard about the ancient Incas' use of coca leaves as a sacred plant. Grown on large plantations, coca was strictly regulated by the Inca rulers. In the Inca religion, coca leaves were scattered or burned as offerings, or chewed to produce a state of ecstasy during religious ceremonies. Because chewing coca leaves releases small amounts of the stimulant cocaine, workers were given coca leaves to prevent hunger and fatigue when they were doing hard work, and to help prevent altitude sickness in the high Andes. Nobles chewed coca leaves as a luxury, but the Incas discouraged habitual use.
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