Groundbreaking Ancient Civilizations That Influence Us Today

Written by: Suhani Kothari, Edited by: Naya Nassri

Created by: Ayse Ece Ozgoren

The current generation continues to benefit from past innovations.

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During 4500 BC, the land we rule today was ruled by leaders and ancient territories who formed different groups of civilizations. A few of these civilizations were known as the Aztec civilization, the Mayan civilization, the Barbarians, and the Sumerians, as well as many more. Each of these civilizations have provided us with astounding scriptures, exceptional traditions, and most importantly, evidence of different ways mankind can survive without any conflict. One of these important civilizations was the Inca civilization.

What was the Inca civilization?

Between approximately 1400 and 1533 BC, the Inca

civilization flourished in ancient Peru, and their empire eventually extended across

Western South America from Quito in the north to Santiago in the south. It was the largest empire ever seen in the Americas and the world at the time. Undaunted by the often harsh Andean environment, the Incas conquered people and exploited landscapes ranging from plains to mountains, deserts, and tropical jungles. Famous for their distinctive art and architecture, they built finely-crafted and imposing structures wherever they conquered, and their spectacular adaptation of natural landscapes with terracing, highways, and mountaintop settlements continues to impress modern visitors at world-famous sites such as Machu Picchu. In addition to this, the Inca civilization was widely famous for its agricultural engineering.

Terrace farming in the Andean

Andean was a territory under the influence of the Inca Culture 4,500 years ago. Even today the Indigenous people of the Andes Mountains, especially those that came under the influence of the Inca Empire. are widely met by tourists when they visit Machu Picchu. The Inca’s allowed Andean communities to overcome challenging environments, including steep slopes, thin soils, extreme and sharply fluctuating temperatures, and scant or seasonal rainfall. Fed by artificial pools and elaborate irrigation systems, terrace farming significantly expanded the area of cultivable land. They also conserved water, reduced soil erosion and – thanks to stone walls that absorbed heat during the day and then released it at night – protected plants from severe frosts. This enabled farmers to grow dozens of different crops, from maize and potatoes to quinoa and coca, many of which would not otherwise have survived in the region. The upshot was a dramatic increase in the overall amount of food produced.

How is Andes important to us today?

The Andes extends through the western part of South America which forms the Andean states, a few countries part of the Andes states are: Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile and Peru. The Andes play a vital part in national economies; accounting for a significant proportion of the region's GDP, as well as providing large agricultural areas, mineral resources, water for agriculture, hydroelectricity (Figure 1), domestic use, and some of the largest business centers in South America. The impact of humans on the Andes Mountains is resulting in population pressure, migration and deforestation, which is caused by the increasing need for new and greater areas for agricultural production and an increasing demand for food, water, and energy by large populations in distant urban centers, as well as in Amazonian communities.

Without these past innovations such as terrace farming or the plow, the world we live in today would be incomplete. As the saying goes, “What you create today, will be recreated by someone else tomorrow, this is the nature of change”- Georgia Barnard Shaw. Despite this, terrace farming isn’t as important today due to advanced machinery, but problems are what push people to look for solutions. Terrace farming might be too old fashioned; however, its supply of food during the Inca civilization reduced starvation and helped Inca form the greatest empire in South America because of its sophisticated agricultural techniques and its friendly relationship with neighboring colonies such as the Andes.

Citations:

“Agricultural Engineers : Occupational Outlook Handbook.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4 Jan. 2022, www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/agricultural-engineers.htm.

Cartwright, Mark. “Inca Civilization.” World History Encyclopedia, World History Encyclopedia, 5 Mar. 2022, www.worldhistory.org/Inca_Civilization/. email, admin

Send an, et al. “Why Are the Andes Mountains Important.” Lisbdnet.com, 27 Nov. 2021, lisbdnet.com/why-are-the-andes-mountains-important/.

“The Innovative Technology That Powered the Inca.” BBC Travel, BBC, www.bbc.com/travel/article/20211212-the-innovative-technology-that-powered-the-inca.