The Inca Empire lasted from 1438 to 1533 CE and was the largest civilization in the world at the time. It was located in present-day Peru and was one of the fastest expanding empires. With the help of many powerful rulers such as Sapa Inca Yapanqui, the Inca Empire expanded across the entire coast of South America until it spanned over 4,000 km2 across the country. The main language of the Incas was Quechua, but there were also many other smaller languages, usually those of other tribes conquered by the Incas. Even after the decline of the Incas, they survived thanks to their ancestors and Quechua is still spoken throughout South America. In 1960, Peru made Quechua one of its official languages, the other being Spanish. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Although there are many evidences of the Inca Empire, one of the most fascinating and well-known is the city of Machu Picchu. This city is one of the 7 modern wonders of the world, thanks to Inca architecture. This city, although not the most populated of its time, has helped historians discover the pre-Columbian life of South Americans. Machu Picchu, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, is an abandoned mountaintop city. This city was built by the Inca ruler, Sapa Inca Tupac Yupanqui, between 1460 and 1470. This city was built solely for religious purposes like prayer as it was at an altitude of 2434 m, and therefore very close to the gods . The existence of the city was only known to the closest advisors of Sapa Inca Tupac Yupanqui and so when the Spanish conquered them, they did not discover it. It was only discovered in 1911. Although Machu Picchu is the most famous testimony of the Icans, other artifacts have been discovered - idols, which mainly relate to religion. This is an artifact depicting a depiction of an Ican god, namely the sun god, on a sacrificial and ceremonial knife. In addition to religious material, a model of a golden artifact forms the basis of the lama. These animals were very popular in Ican. society for its practicality, as it was used as clothing, as a means of transportation, and in some cases, as a source of food. This versatility led to idols of golden llamas being sacrificed in exchange for good fertility of their herds. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers. Get a personalized essay. Machu Picchu and the archaeological discoveries that took place tell us a lot about the daily life of Inca citizens. The skeletal remains of the bodies showed unique levels of bone fractures resulting from strenuous work. This most likely meant that the skeleton was once a farmer. Llama and alpaca bones have also been discovered, proving that llamas had some importance to the Incas. The artificial terraces also show us how important agriculture was, as there were so many of them at Machu Picchu. Temples dedicated to different gods have also been discovered at Machu Picchu, which tells us a little more about the religious beliefs of the Incas..