Agricultural Innovation

Agricultural Innovation was key to their survival.


Terraces
The Inca Empire spanned along the Andean Mountain range. This meant that much of their land was not able to be farmed due to erosion. Agricultural Terraces were invented to help grow crops on the side of the mountain. The terraces helped to control the flow of water so the soil did not erode. A picture (of the museum exhibit) below shows the difference in water flow between a terraced mountain and a regular mountainside.

Water and Food Storage
The Incans also built stone conduits and aqueducts to reroute the water to prevent erosion. Stone irrigation channels and water storage facilities allowed them to have control of the water.

With each advancement came the expansion of the population of the empire. Food was grown in excess and stored in man-made, flagstone hutches called Colca.

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Suspension Bridges

These suspension bridges were made out of Jarava Ichu grass, a feather grass with delicate blades.

Image from Wikimedia Commons

The bridges helped the Incans cross mountains and over rivers. They helped to connect and transfer food across the Empire to everyone.

Photograph by Allison Meier

They were woven with blades of grass intertwined from one single blade of grass which was combined with another bundle to make a thick rope that held the bridge together.

Photograph by Allison Meier

(All photos were taken by me at the National Museum of the American Indian unless stated otherwise).