Inca 101

Inca 101

Inca 101
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 5 to 8
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	7.38

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		guerilla, ransom, unsolved, warfare, founded, literally, federal, fiction, northwest, emperor, reality, ninth, present-day, encounter, series, culture
	content words:		South America, Andes Mountains, Manco Capac, Mama Ocllo, After Manco Capac, Lake Titicaca, Inca Empire, Sapa Inca, Sinchi Roca, Four Quarters

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Inca 101
By Vickie Chao

¹     When it comes to ancient culture in South America, the word "Inca" always comes to mind. For nearly 300 years, the Inca tribe slowly expanded their kingdom along the Andes Mountains. They started out at a tiny spot called Cuzco (or Cusco). From there, they went in all directions. At the peak of their time, their land included present-day Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile.

²     Here is a brief account of their history.

³     The Incas had a mysterious past. According to one of their legends, the sun god Inti sent his son Manco Capac and his daughter Mama Ocllo to Earth. Before they took off, he gave them a golden rod. He told them to push the golden rod into the ground whenever they stopped for rest. If the golden rod sank completely into the ground, they needed to travel no more. Right then and there, they should build a city called Cuzco and dedicate it to worship the sun god. After Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo emerged from the depth of Lake Titicaca, they wandered from one place to another, trying to find the divine site. For a while, they had no luck at all. But one day, they came across a beautiful valley. As they stopped for rest, they pushed the golden rod into the ground. It disappeared right away! Upon seeing that, Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo knew that their search was finally over. Together, they founded the Inca Empire around 1200 and made Cuzco the capital. Manco Capac was the first Sapa Inca or emperor. After he passed away, his son, Sinchi Roca, ascended to the throne and became the second ruler.

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