6)+Agriculture+and+the+Economy

 (http://www.angelfire.com/realm/shades/nativeamericans/incaempire3d.htm)
 * 1) Agriculture** **was the basi****s** **of the eco****nomy, most of the food that the Inca ate, they grew.**

**2) Each //ayllu// (village) ha****d its o****wn self supporting farm community.**

◘ Heavy wooden spade ◘ Foot plow ◘ Stone-tipped club ◘ Bronze bladed hoe ◘ Digging stick ((http://www.angelfire.com/realm/shades/nativeamericans/incaempire3d.htm))
 * 3) Since the Inca** **had n****ot used the wheel or draft animals, all work was done by hand, using:**

◘ 200 varieties of potatoes ◘ used the freezing night temperature and the heat of the day to alternatively freeze and dry the potatoes ◘ cultivate corn and consume it either fresh, dried or popped ◘ make corn into an alcoholic beverages known as //saraiaka// or //chicha// (also used in religious ceremonies) ( Hinds, 23)
 * 4)Potatoes and Corn:**

(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/208/467545073_6d66d791f9.jpg?v=0)

◘ //Guano ­//– nitrate-rich droppings from birds ◘ remains of slaughtered llamas  ◘ Llamas, alpacas and vicunas ◘ Llamas and alpacas were raised as a source of wool and of dung, which was used for fuel ◘ Inca raised guinea pigs, dogs, ducks as a main source of protein ◘ Guinea pigs were raised in the house, usually ran around eating food scraps ◘ animals were sacrificed in religious rituals, slaughtered for meat, leather and dried into thin strips (jerky)  (http://www.angelfire.com/realm/shades/nativeamericans/incaempire3d.htm)
 * 5) Used natural fertilizers**
 * 6) Animals were very important to the economy:**

( Kinds, Kathryn, page 23)
 * 7) Inca traded regionally specialized crops within the empire such as sweet potatoes, blue algae, beans, melons, chili peppers, squash, peanuts, tomatoes, avocados etc.**


 * 8) Hunting weapons included slings, balas, clubs, and nets for catching birds**

◘ Most food was cooked by either boiling it in pottery vessels or by roasting ◘ Most common meals- soups or stews and bread made from maize flour, cooked in ashes  (http://ea.grolier.com/cgi-bin/article?assetid=0213440-00.)
 * 9) Food Habits:**[[image:http://img2.travelblog.org/Photos/17587/79988/f/500379-Inca-Irrigation-1.jpg width="392" height="295" align="right"]]


 * 10) The Inca government made sure that each person had enough food, decent clothing and proper housing. No one wanted, no one begged for food.**

◘ no coins or any other from of currency ◘ goods were exchanged for work or vise versa ◘ the emperor rewarded those who served the empire with jewelry, fine textiles, weapons, livestock, land, and even women to be secondary wives ◘ the commoners working on government projects were rewarded with food and clothing ( Corrick, James A., page 44) (http://img2.travelblog.org/Photos/17587/79988/f/500379-Inca-Irrigation-1.jpg) ◘ important role in Inca religion - scattered and burned as offerings ◘ in rituals and festivals people chewed them to help produce a state of ecstasy ◘ chewing coca leaves released small doses of stimulant cocaine, which helped relieve hunger and fatigue ◘ a luxury - one of the privileges of the elite ( Hinds, Kathryn, page 23)
 * 11) Moneyless Economy;**
 * 12) Coca:**

( Hinds, Kathryn, page 20)
 * 13) The Inca were able to govern such a huge empire without having any system of writing.**

