Page 1

Cover Page
Page 2
Intro
Page 3-4
Inca Children
Lifestyles
Page 5-6
Inca Men Lifestyles
Page 7-8
Inca Woman
Lifestyles

Page 9-10
Food and Animals
Page 11-12

INCA
LIFESTYLES

Inca Kids
Page 13
Final Quiz

By: Alayna Burns, Abbie Cheney, Savannah Dome

Page 14

The Incas had many different lifestyles. In this chapter, you will learn
about the lifestyles of the Incan men, woman, and children. Each chapter

Conclusion

will include facts about their clothing, jobs/school, and information on

their rank in the Empire. You will also learn about the food that they ate
and the animals they cared for.

Page 15-16
Answer Key
Page 17
Glossary
Page 18

1
Works cited

INTRODUCTION
Chapter by: Alayna Burns, Abbie Cheney, and Savannah Dome
Welcome to this interactive Inca adventure. In this chapter you will find many sections based on
the Inca daily life. What you will see includes; Inca Men, Women, and Children. Also you may find
interesting and brain challenging quizzes at the end of each section, plus one big quiz at the end.
The children who lived in the Inca time, had bizarre rituals, obscure temporary names,
differentiated skulls, and depending on your wealth, went to school.- Inca Children Lifestyles

The Inca Children Lifestyles By: Savannah Dome

The children who lived in the Inca time, had bizarre rituals, obscure temporary names,
differentiated skulls, and depending on your wealth, went to school.
Every child had a temporary name. This name was given to them by the eldest male in
the family. When the child was born, the parents would cut a lock of hair, and trim the nails.
Then, the parents would hide the hair and nails so no spells could be cast on the child. After
that, the child would receive gifts and the eldest male of the family would give the temporary
name to the child. The name would usually have to do with the day of birth. For instance, a
name could be Flowers near river for a girl. The child will keep this name until they are
thirteen, during their coming of age ceremony, they will receive their
permanent name. (The Ancient Inca)
The coming of age ceremony for women lasts a week and is much
esteemed. These ceremonies were some of the most significant parts of
the Inca culture. The mother of the girl would wash her, braid her hair,
and give her new clothes or sandals. Then the girl must present and serve
the traditional Inca food to many others Inca officials. These foods
included corn, squash, beans, tomatoes, peppers, fish, and ducks. After
that the girl would begin her fasting. She would fast for three days to
A Working Inca Boy
show that she is ready for her name. It was mandatory for a plethora of
people to show up to any Inca ceremony. The young adult, after that, would get her permanent
name from her most important uncle. (The Ancient Inca)
The males coming of age ceremony lasts three weeks, and is much more elaborate than
the womens. New clothes were presented to the boy, and the people scarified a llama in his
honor. Every day of the three weeks, the boys legs were whipped so he could enhance his
strength. After the three weeks, the man got his permanent name. It was usually his fathers or
grand fathers name. (For more information on the mens coming of age ceremony, go to Inca
Men Lifestyles paragraph five.) (The Ancient Inca)
Depending on your familys wealth, you went to school. If your family was higher up in
the Inca culture, you got an education. If your family was a commoner, you worked the job you
were assigned. You would usually work with your Ayllu. The ayllu is the other family that you
were paired with. These families shared everything; belongings, land, homes, and the ayllu
families usually have their children married together. (For more information on marriage, go to
Women Lifestyles paragraphs one and two.) (Inca Empire Daily Life)

This is a deformed skull of

an Inca.

As a child, your family or families, depending if you have an ayllu,

would strap a board to your forehead and another to the back of your
head. As the childs head developed, the boards would make the skull
grow to a point at the back of the head. The time of skull shaping varied
between six months and three years. Also, the skulls could be almost
two and a half times larger than they were originally. Even though the
volume of the head didnt change, the length does. Therefore, that
makes the skull skinnier and go back farther. The Inca thought this was
beautiful, and they became experts at the art of skull modeling.

However, children did have their skulls deformed, but not always. If you were born into
rich or royal family, you were guaranteed to have a mangled head. On the flip side, if you were
poor you could have your skull warped, but you probably wouldnt.
(www.hiddenincatours.com)
The Inca rituals may seem irrational to us, but it was a vital part of their life and cultures.

QUIZ TIME!
1. True or False: The Coming of age ceremony for girls lasted three weeks.
2. Circle all that apply: The parents did what so their child could receive a temporary
name:
Trim the nails
Clean the house
Cut some hair
Bathe the child
3. Open ended: An Ayllu was your other family, What did you share with them?

Inca Men Lifestyles

Each man of the Inca Empire had their own story. Few were different, but many had
similarities. There were two types of men, the Nobles and the Commoners. All carried bags and
all had a ceremony when they were young.
To begin, few children were born into a Noble society. The Nobles had their ears pierced
when they were approximately 13 years old. The earrings purpose was to misshape the
earlobes of the Nobles. This would make their earlobes dangle to their shoulders by the time
they were 20 years old. In addition, the homes in which the Noble men lived in were quit
decorative. They were all around a plaza which was the best location for a house. They had
slanted roofs and funny doorways. The Nobles would decorate their doors with anything shiny,
especially gold. Also, they didnt have to pay taxes like the Commoners. Subsequently, the
Nobles had more to live for than the Commoners.
Furthermore, the Commoners were not viewed as highly as the Nobles were and not
treated as respectfully. To start, the men had to farm. They would work all day and the farms
didnt even belong to them. The Nobles owned their farms. They also had to pay taxes through
labor and they shared a one room hut with their ayllu. The ayllu was a group of families that
worked a portion of land together. Their huts had no furniture, only mats of animal skins for
sleeping. If an Inca was found in their hut when they arent supposed
to be, the village inspector would kill them. In summary, the
Commoners were treated poorly compared to the way the Nobles
were treated.
The mens style was the same except the type of fabric they
wore. The common men wore long tunics. To pull the outfit together,
they covered themselves in a cloak. The cloak would be draped over
their shoulders and tie in the front. Their footwear was made from
skinned llama. The Nobles style was the same excluding the fact that
they had a richer fabric so you could imply on their rank. (See picture)
The boys had a ceremony to prove that they were men. The boy was around 13 when
their ceremony was performed. The ceremony would last 3 weeks.
A comparison of Inca men clothing
The young male was given new clothes to honor him. The ceremony
Left: Commoner Right: Noble
included a llama getting sacrificed. When the llama was sacrificed, the
Incas would take the blood and rub it on the boys face. Also, they would whip the young boys
legs every day to make him strong. Finally, they would receive their official names. Normally,
their name would come from their father or grandfather. Overall, the 3 week ceremony was to
announce young male coming of age.
5

In conclusion, the Inca mens lifestyle was a unique twist on modern lifestyle. They
would be ranked, and get a ceremony when they reach 13. Finally, they would have a
distinctive style defining which rank they belong in; Noble or Commoner. Addressing the
complicated life of the Inca men enhances our understanding of the Inca Empire as a whole.

Quiz
1. What did the men wear?
__________________________________________
2. The rich were called Nobles.
TRUE
FALSE
3. The boys had blood rubbed on their face when they had their ceremony. Did they
have
A. Cow Blood
B. Llama Blood
C. Human Blood
D. Grape Blood
4. The boys ceremony was _________ weeks and they had to be _______ years old.
5. Who did the Inca Commoners live with?
A. Goats
C. Grape Farmers
B. Soup
D. Ayllu

66

Inca women lifestyles by Abbie Cheney

Women were a very crucial puzzle piece to the elaborate Inca Empire. They had unique
marriage must haves and culture. They also did jobs that were mandatory for the people, such
as clothing they wore and made. These women had lots to live up to.
A common misconception among the Incas is that they can choose their spouse like us,
their marriage was announced by an Inca official you were always paired with someone you
knew well. Disabled paired with disabled and the spouse would be from the same class as you.
If you were a bride you would be around the age of 16-20 if you were a male, you would be 2025 years of age. The man and his parents would go the brides house and her family would give
approval. Then they went to the grooms house the bride would give him a wool tunic head
band and then the marriage was celebrated by dancing, feasting and drinking. Their marriage
rituals may be frivolous now, but it was essential then. (The
Ancient Inca)
Women, children, and men all had unique principles;
marriage was one of those special intervals that had strict Inca
followers. Men of a lower rank could only have one wife, the
couple could do a trial marriage to see if the woman and man
were right for each other or if they could carry on with the
marriage. If the bride was not happy with the man then she
could go back under her parents wing. No woman could marry
anyone outside of her class, same with the men. If a thing like
that does happen, it is very rare. Once they were married the
couple were expected to collect food, cook and watch over the livestock. Once the woman gets
pregnant she prays and makes offerings to the Inca god, kanopa. The Incas have very unique
cultures, some are too elaborate to explain or even understand. (Women)
A basket women collected food in

Women had very fundamental jobs that took place before and after marriage. Weaving
shops were always run by women. You would almost never see a male in a weaving shop. Even
though the shop were worked by women, the men usually over saw the clothing process. This
job may be one of the most important job because clothing was high demand. Sometimes
women would be isolated from others just so that they could make clothing. Women, like the
Aztecs, would pick up jobs like a healer or a midwife. What they did then would now be seen as
illegal street jobs. The women also were known to induce unwanted pregnancies these ladies
would be outcast from the others and not able to reside near other women. Women could be a
positive and negative influence on children and even other women. (Inca Women)

The Inca women had very special things to wear, they could be plain or
simple, adorned or not its look was a very unique one. The article they that wore was
a combined skirt and blouse. It reached all the way down to the ankles. It was bound
at the waist by a long wide, woven and maybe ornamental sash. At the top it reached
to the neck and the upper edges fastened together over the shoulders by long pins
passing under the arms and at the sides. (Women) The outfits probably had the same
idea for their clothing; however, the hair depended only on what group and social
class you were in. Even though their outfits and hair was simple, it was still an Inca
mystery uncovered yet again. (Inca Empire, daily life)

Inca women wore

very modest
clothing

The ladies of the Inca civilizations were a mandatory slice in the Inca loaf of bread.
Without them the life the Incas lived would be possible.

QUIZ!!!
1: Women could un marry if they didnt like their spouse TRUE~ FALSE

2: What did Inca women wear?

3: What were some of the jobs women did? (Circle two)

A-Garbage girl
B-Weavers
C-Neck shaver

Inca Animals and Foods by Abbie Cheney

In order to sustain the Inca empire, they used a plethora of animals and food to keep
them thriving. Incas lived on fairly healthy diet, surviving mainly of nuts, leaves or seeds. Since
they lived in the high mountains, they had animals who were very versatile to their
surroundings.
Many of their abstract foods are what they survived on, foods like the greens around
them, or the seeds under their feet. They
always found a way to use their recourses in a
positive manner. As many of us now, we like
sticking to one main flavor, bitter, sweet, sour
or salty. The Incas however were all over the
board. They appreciated sweet and bitter foods,
which makes sense. The grasses, or seeds could
easily go either way, sweet or bitter it
depended on the seed. They had so many
greens in the Inca diet, no one could write them Quinoa, a food Incas ate
all down. One of the dishes was Chenopodium,
it crossed as both a seed and a leave. Another food was quinoa it is a plant of high altitudes
making it ideal for the Incas. The foods could have been put in soups and stews, toasted, or
ground up to make bread or mix into condiments. Sometimes the life giving gems could be
eaten raw, as an alternative for families who could not afford meat. Food is amazing now, but it
was a vital ingredient for Inca civilization.
Animals were also vital to the Inca life, they gave many resources and food to the Inca
lifespan. One main food source was the Vicunas.
It was a strategy to get this delicious meal, Incas
would close in around it to kill it, you would have
to be quiet, careful, and fast if you wanted a
substantial meal on your table. However, since
this was an Inca delicacy the Viconas numbers
quickly dwindled down to about 12,000.
Unfortunately, this animal only produced about
one pound of wool per year! The lama pacos
however, is a great source for wool with wool all
over its body, neck and legs! This was use for
coats and shawls. The Llama Glama wool is a
great misconception, many think its used for
coats, but its wool is far too course for anything in
particular. Another Inca nourishment was an Inca
A llama (llama glama)

Cuy, this was found in the Andes and was cooked up with roasted red pepper. It was added to
small river rocks to heat it up much faster. The Incas also domesticated at least 3 dog, none
were used for food though. Animals were extremely useful for the Incas, even if it was not used
for food, everything had a purpose.
Every food, and every animal was used to keep the Incas large population thriving. Even
though the food is mainly seeds, nuts and leaves the spiced it up to be an elaborate concoction.
The animals were great for food, and many other helpful tools.

Quiz!!
1: What were some foods Incas ate? (Circle all that apply)
A: Quinoa
B: Grapes
C: Vicona
D: Pinecones

2: What was vital to Inca life?

A: Peanuts
B: Unicorns
C: Animals
D: Food

3: Inca Cuy stands for bananas.

TRUE~FALSE

10

Inca Kids
Inca Word Search!!!

ANDES

AYLLU

CHILDREN

EMPEROR

INCA

LLAMA

QUINA

SACRIFECES

SAPAINCA

11

12

The Final Quiz:

1. Who gave the girls their permanent name?
2. How did the Inca people find their spouse?
3. What is the difference between a noble and a commoner?
4. How did the Incas get their deformed skulls?
5. How did the Incas say these words: Llama and Alpaca?
6. What was the difference between a boys ceremony and a
girls ceremony?
7. Name one main food source?
8. Why did the parents hide the childs hair and nails after
cutting them?
9. Who went to school?
10. Draw a picture of the women wore?

13

Conclusion
In Conclusion, the Incas had a very unique lifestyle. Inca men, women,
and kids all had unique ways of life and ideas. They each showed a different point
of view to the diverse Incan life and how each went about doing so. Even in
animals, and the food they ate you can see the Inca and their lifestyle. The way
the Incas lived can give us a great deal of insight, what worked and what failed
them. The society was with strict rules and strict classes. The men were either a
commoner, or a Noble, the well-respected. The woman had many different roles
in the Empire. They would either have the job of a weaver, healer, and midwife.
Only the Noble Children would go to school, the Commoners would work with
their parents. As you can see, the Inca lifestyle is very different from what ours is
now. You may consider frivolous, but it was orderly back in the 1400's.

14

Answers page:
The Inca children lifestyles

False

Trim the nails

Ayllus shared everything; their homes, land, food, etc

cut some hair

Inca men lifestyles

Tunics and a cloak

True

B. Llama blood

3 weeks,

D. Ayllu

13 years old

Inca women lifestyles

True

Combined skirt and blouse

B. wearers

D. healers

Inca Animals and Food

A. Quinoa C. Vicona

C. Animals

False

15

Kid Zone Word Search

S
E
D
N
A
+
+
A
+
+

A
E
M
+
+
+
+
M
+
+

S
N
C
P
+
+
+
A
+
+

A
+
I
E
E
+
+
L
+
+

P
+
+
U
F
R
+
L
+
+

A
+
+
+
Q
I
O
+
+
I

I
+
+
+
+
+
R
R
N
+

N
E
R
D
L
I
H
C
+
+

C
+
+
+
+
+
A
+
A
+

A
Y
L
L
U
+
+
+
+
S

The final quiz answers:

Their most important uncle

An official matched them up

The fabric

The children had boards strapped to their foreheads and

back of their heads

Llama is Lama Glama and Alpaca is Lama Pacos

The boys lasted 3 weeks while the girls only lasted 1 week

Vicona

So no spells could be cast on them

The children from a rich family

Drawings may vary

Womens cloths had a combined skirt and blouse

16

Glossary
Approximately.. to come near to correct
Ayllu... a group of families that worked a portion of land together
Concoction.. A mixture of various ingredients
Enhance...... to improve the quality of
Essential..indispensable
Frivolous..not serious
Fundamentalserving as foundation
Imply. To indicate or suggest something
Lama Glama.. llama
Lama Pacos.. alpaca
Plethora.. more than what is needed
Significant. noteworthy or having meaning
Substantial.. large and of value
Sustain.................................................................................................... to support
Variation varying in form
Variety difference
Vicona...Inca animal

17

Works Cited
Calvert, Patricia. The Ancient Inca. Danbury, Connecticut: Franklin Watts, 2004.

hiddencatours www.hiddencatours.com 2014. October 8, 2014

<www.hiddencatours.com>.

Inca

food timeline 2 March 2014 2 Oct. 2014 <www.foodtimeline.org>

Inca Empire, Daily Life. Ducksters. Oct. 2014. 2 Oct. 2014 <www.ducksters.com>

Incan women 8 Oct 2014 <www.ivcc.edu>

Pointy Heads and Dangling earlobes. Mrdonn. 6 Oct 2014 <www.incas.mrdonn.org

The Incas: Domestic Animals 2 Oct. 2014 <Incas.homested.com>

Women/ 2007-2009 8 Oct 2014 <www.machupicchu-inca.com>

Women 8 Oct 2014 <weebly.com>

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