Inca Culture

Señora Sheppard

last updated: February 12, 2003

 

 

"Go lightly, simply.
Too much seriousness clouds the soul.
Just go, and follow the flowing moment.
Try not to cling to any experience.
The depths of wonder open of themselves."

 

Introduction:

Spanish classes will be visiting an exhibition at the Peabody Museum in New Haven about Machu Picchu, a site located in Peru. The Inca people built Machu Picchu at about the time Christopher Columbus came to the Americas. After the Spanish conquered the Inca Empire, the site lay in ruin for several centuries until it was rediscovered by Hiram Bingham, an American historian at Yale University, in 1911.

As evidenced by his writings, Hiram Bingham was genuinely inspired by the beauty of the region he was exploring. He writes in his archaeological journal, on display at the Peabody Museum,

"Above all, there is the fascination of finding here and there under swaying vines, or perched on top of a beetling crag, the rugged masonry of a bygone race; and of trying to understand the bewildering romance of the ancient builders who, ages ago, sought refuge in a region which appears to have been expressly designed by nature as a sanctuary for the oppressed, a place where they might fearlessly and patiently give expression to their passion for walls of enduring beauty."

Bingham and others speculated as to why the Inca people would build a town in such an isolated place, high in the Andes Mountains. Over the decades, archaeologists have developed several explanations for why Machu Picchu was built. By learning about the Inca Empire, Spanish students will try to solve the mystery of Machu Picchu's purpose.

 

Task:

As Foran High School Spanish students in good standing, you and your team of amateur, bilingual archaeologists will travel to the highlands of Peru.

Process:

Begin your quest for knowledge about the Inca Civilization...

You will first research the role of the archaelogist. Click on this site http://www.nps.gov/efmo/parks/4606d.htm.
Each individual amateur archaelogist must complete the Cloze Activity and pass it into your teacher.

You will use the various internet sites below to do your research. (Investigate sites of your own, too!)

http://www.peabody.yale.edu/education/pages/topic.html#arch
Under the Archaeology section, under the subheading, Machu Picchu: Unveiling the Mystery of the Inca, click on “click here for the teacher's curriculum". Under Contents, go to part IV, The Inca from Village to Empire.

http://www.theincas.com/
Pictoral tribute to the Incas and their ancestors
Time line and great links

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/inca/inca_culture_3.html
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/inca/inca_culture_4.html
Photos and information

http://coe.fgcu.edu/students/webb/meso/incacul.htm
Inca daily life

http://coe.fgcu.edu/students/webb/meso/incacul.htm
Inca history, folklore and music

http://lithiccastinglab.com/gallery-pages/2002octoberconopapage1.htm
Inca llama and alpaca in artifacts

http://www.inkatour.com/
Photos of Inca artifacts

http://www.theincas.com/history/empire_map.htm
Inca maps, religion and government

http://www.culturefocus.com/peru.htm
Photos of Inca descendents today…legacy of Inca

http://www.millville.org/Workshops_f/Acker_Inca/per_mp.htm
Overview of Inca civilization

http://annettelamb.com/42explore/inca.htm
Great links to all aspects of Inca culture

http://www.raingod.com/angus/Gallery/Photos/SouthAmerica/Peru/IncaTrail/index.html
The Inca Trail and Machu Picchu

http://www.infoperu.com/peru/eng/cusco/machu1.html
Machu Picchu City of Magic

http://www.ex.ac.uk/~RDavies/inca/links.html#machupicchubo
The Inca Trail, Machu Picchu and Mysterious Peru

http://www.labyrinthina.com/machu.htm
Great Photo gallery and information

 

You will collect and save written and pictoral data in an Electronic Journal . Be sure to include at least three pieces of information for each category. Also, include a map of the Inca Empire. Each individual amateur archaeologist will submit his/her journal on the day of the class presentation.

You will visit the Peabody Museum. Each group member will make one sketch on the Hypothesis and Evidence sheet of something that will help prove the team's hypothesis. The sketch might be of an artifact such as pottery, an animal, farming device, etc. While at the museum each group member must also take additional notes on printouts of the journal. Time will be given in the computer lab for team members to enter new data gathered from our museum trip into electronic journals.

You will meet together with your team to develop a presentation as to why Machu Picchu was built. Include your hypothesis and supporting evidence. Your group may choose to do a Power Point presentation, create and present a display board, or perform a skit using props. Review the Rubric for how you will be graded.

Projects need to include:

PowerPoint Presentation	Display Board	Skit
Hypothesis Examples supporting hypothesis Sources listed	Hypothesis Examples supporting hypothesis Sources listed	Hypothesis Examples supporting hypothesis Sources listed	Stated in skit and on script Stated in skit and on script On script only

 

You will present your findings to the class on project presentation day.

Passports Ready? Suitcases packed? Cameras in hand? Buen Viaje! Enjoy your virtual trip to the ruins of Machu Picchu.

 

 

 

Sources:

(Picture of Inca King) http://www.fuenterrebollo.com/Etnografia/conque-inca.jpg

(Poem) http://www.labyrinthina.com/machu.htm

(Ideas related to Peabody Museum exhibition) http://www.peabody.yale.edu/exhibits/