It is thought that these tunics were made for soldiers and the checkered pattern camouflaged them into an indistinguishable mass
Inka
Inka khipus are bundles of woolen cords tied together with knots added to them to encode information.
The Inka khipu
The ritual this was made for was enacted in fields the Inka owned—in the Chancay lands they had conquered.
An Inka paccha
The Inka empire spanned from Ecuador to Chile, and was connected by a road system used for official business only.
Introduction to the Inka
Although this vessel depicts a royal Inka couple, it was produced after the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors.
Keru Vessel
These receptacles held liquid offerings, the surface of the liquid were eyes that saw into the underworld.
Inka stone vessels
Sites for ritual activity, ushnus occupied the best real estate, chosen for their views of snow-capped mountains.
What is an Inka ushnu?
The Inkas dominated the landscape, and littered it with symbols of their presence—in particular these platforms.
Inka ushnus: landscape, site and symbol in ...
Andean cultures had long valued textiles, but they were especially significant and finely-made in the Inka Empire.
All-T’oqapu Tunic
The Inka emperor hosted feasts, performed religious ceremonies, and ruled his empire from this remote citadel.
Machu Picchu
A life-size metallic garden at the Qorikancha included these corn cobs, llamas, and other offerings.
Maize cobs
It has been argued that Cusco was laid out in the shape of a puma, symbolizing Inka might.
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