Ancient Peru was home to incredible civilizations like the powerful Inca Empire, who flourished around the 1400s. They managed 12 million people across an 18,000-mile road network without wheels or iron tools. Learn how they built lost cities like Machu Picchu!
What if we told you there was a place in the world where people built massive stone cities high in the clouds, created giant pictures on the desert floor that can *only* be seen from the sky, and kept records using colorful knotted strings?
Welcome to Ancient Peru! This incredible land, nestled high in the Andes Mountains of South America, was home to some seriously brilliant civilizations long before airplanes existed. We’re going to meet the powerful Inca Empire, explore the mysterious lines drawn by the Nazca people, and learn about the breathtaking lost city of Machu Picchu. Get ready, because history here is definitely not boring for kids!
Mira says:
"I read that the Inca Empire at its biggest stretched from what is now Colombia all the way down to Chile! That’s like connecting Canada to Mexico with one giant empire! Imagine the road trip they would have needed!"
What Was the Mighty Inca Empire?
The most famous group from Ancient Peru is the Inca Empire, which became super powerful around the 1400s—about 600 years ago! They were experts at taking over new lands, but they were also amazing at organizing the people they conquered.
Their capital city, the heart of everything, was Cusco, a beautiful place located high in the mountains. The Inca believed their ruler, the Sapa Inca, was the actual son of their main god, the Sun God Inti. That made him a very important guy!
Mind-Blowing Fact!
The Inca people were incredible farmers! They were the first people in the world to grow potatoes! They also grew corn, squash, and peanuts, using smart farming terraces built into the steep mountainsides.
Inca Superpowers: Roads and Record-Keeping
Even though the Inca Empire was HUGE, they didn't use wheels or iron tools like some other famous empires. So how did they keep it all together? With roads and strings!
They built an amazing network of roads called Qhapaq Ñan (say: *kah-pahk nahn*) stretching over 18,000 miles! They used super-fast messengers called *chasquis* who ran in relays to deliver messages across the empire.
In the Inca Empire at its peak
Stretching across the empire
When the empire grew the most
How Did the Nazca Make Giant Desert Art?
Now let’s zoom down to the dry desert coast of southern Peru to meet the older Nazca culture. These people lived between about 500 BC and 500 AD and created one of history's biggest puzzles: the Nazca Lines!
The Nazca Lines are enormous drawings, called *geoglyphs*, etched right into the flat, reddish desert floor. They are so huge that you can only truly see the whole shape by looking down from high up, maybe even from a spaceship (though they didn't have those!).
What Shapes Did They Draw?
The lines aren't just random scribbles! The Nazca people made over 800 straight lines, lots of geometric shapes like triangles and spirals, and about 70 amazing pictures of things they saw every day.
You can find giant hummingbirds, monkeys, spiders, trees, and even a figure nicknamed 'The Astronaut'! To make them, they simply removed the dark red pebbles on top to show the lighter soil underneath.
💡 Did You Know?
One of the biggest Nazca drawings, a bird figure, is so long that the wingspan is about 443 feet long—that’s taller than a 40-story building!
🎯 Quick Quiz!
The Inca Empire kept records without a written alphabet, instead using what special tool?
Who Built the Incredible City of Machu Picchu?
The Inca also built the jaw-dropping mountain city of Machu Picchu—one of the New Seven Wonders of the World! It was built high up in the mountains during the 1400s, likely as a royal estate for an Inca emperor.
It’s famous for its stonework. The massive stones fit together so perfectly that you can’t slip a credit card between them, even though they didn't use any cement! This amazing building skill helped their structures survive earthquakes for centuries.
- City in the Clouds: Machu Picchu sits at about 7,970 feet (2,430 meters) above sea level!
- Royal Retreat: It was likely only used for about 100 years before the Spanish arrived and the Inca abandoned it.
- Rediscovery: The ruins were brought to the world's attention in 1911 by explorer Hiram Bingham III.
Whether it was the Inca connecting their vast empire with roads, the Nazca making giant art for the sky, or the builders of Machu Picchu creating perfect stone walls, Ancient Peru shows us that people thousands of years ago were just as creative, smart, and curious as we are today!
Questions Kids Ask About World History
Keep Exploring the Andes!
The story of Ancient Peru is full of mystery, engineering marvels, and incredible mountain life! Which part surprised you the most—the giant spider on the desert floor or the city built above the clouds? Keep listening to History's Not Boring to discover more amazing adventures from the past!
