Boys and girls were selected, often as part of an annual tribute to the Inca state. Chosen children typically came from noble families hoping to gain political favor through these rituals.

Rising from obscurity in Peru's Cusco Valley during the 13th century, a royal Inca dynasty charmed, bribed, intimidated, or conquered its rivals to create the largest pre-Columbian empire in the ...

Some religious rituals involved human sacrifice ... During the last days of the Inca Empire, a relaxation of restrictions on coca consumption began. Some researchers argue that this change ...

At the height of its existence the Inca Empire was the largest nation on Earth ... its rule resulting in a universal language - a form of Quechua, a religion worshipping the sun, and a 14,000 ...

A Glimpse into History Machu Picchu's history is as intriguing as its breathtaking scenery. Built in the 15th century under ...

All gold belonged to the ruler of the empire, the Inca himself, who claimed to be descended from the sun god. Llamas were the Incas' most important domestic animal, providing food, clothing and ...

and a place were the Inca used in one of their most dramatic and powerful religious ceremonies: human sacrifice. To the Incan eye, the landscape of their empire was riddled with shrines.