Inca farming summary
The Inca lived in the Andes mountains. The sides were very steep and there were only a few plains to farm so they came up with a system that provided all their food. The system was called terraces and they were built into the sides of the mountains. The terraces were like steps going all the way down the mountain and all the rainfall got to every plant. The Incas farmed a lot of different types of food and had over 200 types of potatoes. Use documents 1 and 2 to help you answer the essential question. (Which civilization was more successful in farming, the Aztecs or the Incas?)
Primary document: 2007/05/2011 12:46 PM http://forums.2k.com/archive/index.php/t-109620.html
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The Inca used a farming technique called terraces. These terraces went down the mountain in a stairlike way. Terraces were built into the side of a mountain allowing the Incas to have a successful farming use. The bottom was made out of stone allowing very little erosion and the terraces also had irrigation that caught water and distributed it to all the crops. The terraces gave the Incas a food supple.
SECONDARY document: Washington DC, 500 Fifth St. N.W. The National Academies Press, 1989
“They grew a wealth of roots, grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, and nuts.”
The Incas grew a variety of different crops but their 3 biggest crops were potatoes, quinoa, and corn. They were the first civilization to grow potatoes and had over 200 different types of potatoes. They also used quinoa seeds to make cereal, flour, and soup. In addition,the Incas grew tomatoes, avocados, peppers, strawberries, peanuts, squashes, sweet potatoes, beans, pineapples, bananas, spices, and cocoa leaves for chocolate. The Incas kept honey bees and dried extra food so it could be eaten later.