Inca civilisation
Where can I find facts and information about the Incas?
Entry last updated: 13/01/21
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.
Websites
Society, culture and way of life form the foundation of any world civilisation. The Inca people were famed for their achievements and considered the largest empire in the world at the time.
The Dorling Kindersley online encyclopedia is a great resource for lots of different topics.
- Try searching for your keyword 'Inca'.
- Each search result has a small section of information, with useful pictures and photographs.
- To really test your knowledge, take the Intriguing Incas Quiz.
Tips: Websites that have .com or .co in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the company’s mission and values are.
EPIC is a collection of reliable databases covering lots of different topics. It’s 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 browsing the Related links at the right of the page.
Tips: Many web pages have links to further information or to other recommended sites. Following these links is a great way to find out more.
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
- Inca: discover the culture and geography of a lost civilization by Lawrence Kovacs
- National Geographic investigates ancient Inca by Beth Gruber.
