Inca civilisation
Where can I find facts and information about the Incas?
(Years 5-8)
Image: Machu Picchu1 by Samuel Jiménez Restivo on Wikimedia Commons.
Entry last updated: 25/06/25
Introduction
The Inca Empire stretched across the central Andes region of South America, with the capital city of Cuzco located in modern-day Peru. The Incas were famous for their organisation, architecture, art and religion. The empire was most successful during the 1400s and 1500s.
General websites
Society, culture and way of life form the foundation of any world civilisation. The Inca people were famous for their achievements and were thought of as the largest empire in the world at the time.
EPIC is a collection of reliable databases covering lots of different topics. It has been put together especially for New Zealand school students and helps to answer questions like this.
Once you've logged in, try searching for 'Inca'.
The article Inca (people) has interesting articles and videos.
The article on Central Andean Indians (people) gives a great overview of the wider culture and society.
Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or chat with our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.
This is a great place for information about different historical civilisations.
A search for 'Inca' will bring up a lot of useful results.
Look at the entry on Inca Civilization for a great overview.
You will find a lot of interesting facts in the article on Inca Ingenuity in the Andes.
The Machu Picchu entry covers one of the most famous ancient sites in the world.
Try the links under the Timeline, and the links under Related Content and External Links found at the end of the page. This will help you find out more about this topic.
Tips: Some websites have advertisements (or ads) which ask us to buy something or tell us to ‘click here’. It’s best to ignore these ads and focus on the information we’re looking for.
This website has heaps of videos on different topics chosen by teachers and parents. It has videos about the Inca civilisation.
Find the search icon near the top of the page and enter the keyword 'Inca'.
Watch the video The rise and fall of the Inca empire.
This education site is easy to read and interesting. It's section on history includes myths, mythology and legends from various civilizations.
Select History from the home page and look under Ancient History.
Go to Aztec, Maya, Inca.
There are links under the heading Inca for a timeline or to learn about daily life, mythology, society and more.
Or look further down the page for a brief description of the Inca.
Books
Your school library and local public library will have encyclopedias and fact books. Here are some suggested titles for you to check:
Ancient Incas by Michael Burgan
Ancient civilizations: Aztecs, Maya, Inca! by Anita Yasuda.
Ancient Inca culture by Kristen Rajczak Nelson
Inca: discover the culture and geography of a lost civilization by Lawrence Kovacs
National Geographic investigates ancient Inca by Beth Gruber.
SCIS no: 1845881
Topics covered
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