Today, Lima is a bustling, smoggy city. Its population is a mixture of people whose ancestors were local or came from Europe, Africa, and Asia. Many follow the Catholic religion that Spanish conquerors brought to the area so long ago. But let’s rewind. What would it have been like to live in Peru 600 years ago? Picture this . . .
Nobles and Peasants. Inca nobles wear brightly colored clothes decorated with feathers. The emperor—the Sapa Inca—never wears the same outfit twice. As soon as he takes his clothes off for the day, someone sets them on fire! The Sapa Inca’s word is law. People believe he has the authority of a god. Nobles keep the Sapa Inca company and inspect his lands. Besides that, they do very little work.
Peasants, on the other hand, wear rough clothes. They live in rectangular, windowless homes made of adobe, stone, or reeds. They are hardworking farmers and spend very little time at home. For food, they cook corn and chili pepper stew on stoves made from stone and mud. Peasants eat mostly vegetables. But once in a while they add some meat to their diet: llamas, ducks, guinea pigs, and dogs.
Conquered peoples. Many Incan commoners once belonged to other civilizations. Now they work for the Incan state. And they almost never get a break. Instead of paying taxes, they build roads, haul stone blocks, and serve in the military. But joining a huge empire has advantages too. Their farms flourish because of good Inca irrigation systems. They can now easily trade because of the Incas’ excellent roads.
Mummies. Incas believe in many made-up gods. Pyramids are used as “houses” for these gods, and as burial places for Inca kings. The Incas mummify each Sapa Inca. They take out his organs, embalm him, and freeze-dry him. (When the Spanish arrive in present-day Peru in 1533, they find an old woman fanning flies off a pair of mummies. She is treating them as if they are still alive!)
The Incas believe each mummified king should keep his wealth, not pass it on to the next emperor. So each new emperor conquers his own new lands. He piles up his own treasure. Because of this, the empire continues to grow.
