National Geographic Investigates: Ancient Inca: Archaeology Unlocks the Secrets of the Inca's Past - Tapa dura

The ruins and tombs high in the Andes Mountains of Peru yield valuable clues to lives of the Ancient Incas. In 1995, the Inca Ice Maiden is recovered, one of four human sacrifices found on Ampato. These mummies provide scientists with perfectly preserved "time capsules" packed with clues to Inca civilization during the 1400s. Cuzco, the seat of Inca power, reveals the remains of the Inca railroad system and the incredible fortress of Sacsayhuaman. The Coricancha, Cuzco's spectacular Inca temple of worship, contains vital clues to the Incas' spiritual culture, which are also revealed in artifacts recovered from tombs. Inca archaeological sites such as the Old Temple at Chavin de Huantar and the Huaca del Sol continually paint a portrait of an extremely advanced civilization, which left no written record of its history. Ancient Inca includes an interview with Dr. Constanza Ceruti, a high-altitude archaeologist and a National Geographic Emerging Explorer currently working in Peru. National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visitwww.natgeoed.org/commoncorefor more information."

The Incas, an American Indian people, built a vast and powerful empire in the Andes Mountains of Peru in the 1400s. Fabulous archaeological discoveries have aided our understanding of this marvelous culture. Inca mummies have been found on frozen mountaintops, on volcanoes, and in the outskirts of Lima, Peru's capital city. Tombs have yielded artifacts that give clues to the spiritual life of these ancient people. And scientists are still gaining new insights from their study of the Inca city of Machu Picchu, discovered in 1911.