Some historians (don't remember their names or where they are from, but I've heard professors talking about this many times) have a theory that says that the incas originally come from Greece. The archaeology of the Incas is very very similar to the greek archaeology (in its earliest stages) and if you compare a greek with an inca, their face features are almost the same, the only difference would be that the color of the skin of the incas is darker(because of the weather there) and its face is a little more..hmm what word can I use... "hard"? Also, forgot to said that they've found boats in Greece that look exactly like the boats the Incas used to use.
In my opinion this theory could be true. Not only because of what they say about the archaeology, the boats and the way they look, but also because there's this legend in the Andes that says that the first woman and man(first Inca, Manco Capac) that arrived to Peru came from the "lake" (ocean?)

As a descendant of the 'Inca' tribe, and someone with an interest in their history and culture, I have to say that I don't see many similarities between the reed boats of the Andean mountains and the hard wood construction of the Greeks. Also, the Greek features, notably the (ironically) 'Roman' nose is conspicuosly absent in Inca features. Inca tend to have the higher cheekbones and much wider chests than the Greeks, although the legs a little scrawnier.

Hmm fair enough.
As a Peruvian(lived there for 17 years, came here 4 years ago with the solely purpose of studying in a university) and as a student with a minor in art history, I have to say I do seem similarities. Especially in the decorations of their architectures ( on their earliest periods) (ie: try the decorations in the Partenon and compare them to the ones in the various Inca monuments).
About the boats, I saw in cnn.com long time ago they talked about a boat they found in Greece that looked exactly like the ones in Macchu Picchu.
About the face similarities, I said the Incas had a "harder" face. I don't know what other word to use because my english is not that extensive. But they do have a roman nose, I know that for sure :-p That's actually one of the most known features of the incas.

Whoa - hey nice to see some fellow Peruvians.. my father is from Lima, Peru and I lived there for 2 years when I was much younger.

Interesting theory, btw.

**shrugs**

What can I say? I disagree. It's entirely possible, of course, I simply don't find the reasons posted sufficient. I also can't agree that a Roman nose is "the most known features of the incas". Heck, I don't have one, my father doesn't, and my grandfather was one generation off the original Quetchua stock, and he didn't have it either. I can't think of any of my cousins with one.

Hmm, facinating. oo;

I don't know much about Inca culture though...I'll have to look it up.

Hmm, well they used stone blocks wedged really close together not even a razor blade could fit in between...

And omg, the entire Inca civilization was conquered by 180 Spanish Conquistadors. o_o

180 Conquistadors versus 40,000 Inca Soldiers...the Conquistadors won. Now that is humiliating. o__o

Actually it was smallpox that wiped out the Inca. A disease was a major factor in respect to how western hemispheric cultures were overcome so easily in those days. As far as the issue of 180 conquistadors conquering the Incan civilization I would consider that to have been the result of the Spanish simply wanting to aggrandize themselves.

As far as similarities in relation to architecture, certain technology and facial characteristics that could also be related to, that at some point in time in ancient history
these two cultures interacted.

I've also heard that there were many other tribes that assisted the Spanish. That would've made it a little easier and I doubt that the Catholic Spainards would've put a lot in thier diaries about "non-X-tian savages" helping to destroy a Civilization.

And don't forget that the Inca were in the midst of social turmoil as well. The idea of gods coming from across the sea to help them was well-received. Really, the conquistadors couldn't have picked a better time to come.

I just can't see it in the architecture. Sure the early stuff looks similar, but heck, the early stuff is basically block on block construction, the same the world over. You start getting into what became known as Incan style architecture, and the technique and patterns become distinct from those of the Romans (Who did a great job with the arch, but then, since they had more to work with, didn't have to do the time and labor intensive mix-matching the Inca did.

There is a popular, politically correct mythology these days that the Americas were a peaceful "never never land of peace and tranquility before the "evil" white man came. In fact, the conquest by the Eurpeans can almost solely be atrributed to the fact that the various tribes hated each other with such a passion from never-ending war that they simply could not unite to fight against the common, alien enemy from the sea. It did not take the aztecs or the inca long to realize that the spanish adventurers were not gods, but greedy adventurers.

dont forget that the main boss there, Francisco Pizarro, didn't know how to read :'(
thats depressing

Any society in enough trouble needs very little to tip it over. Hopefully, people do not believe that the citizens of Iraq were ignorant little sheep that didn't know any better than to allow someone like Saddam Hussein to create a tyranny. People crave structure, and if theirs has failed, like that of the Incas did after Huanca assassinated his brother for the throne (fraternicide being considered one of the top ten naughty things you could do), people will be more wiling to accept something else, despite the strangeness of it. Gods coming from the sea during the times of trouble probably made perfect sense to them.

well then...'tis a mystery to be solved by who nose?

Interesting theory, however I don't believe it... Most scolars acceot the theory that the Amerindians (as they're also called) came across the Bering Strait some 20.000 years ago. But I've also heard that they came to America for like 15.000 years ago, through Europe...

it's the other way!Atahualpa killed his half brother Huascar, and that supposedly made him the last Inca. I say "supposedly" because believe it or not, the Inca lineage is still existing nowadays. Now there IS an Inca, but he's not recognized as the king of anything. (i don't remember his name, I only remember it started with S...)
ps: when I say Inca i mean the actual emperor, not the people

Oy...



You are quite right. I got my brothers mixed (alas, it is a rapidly fading history lesson to me.) It was this assassination that threw the Inca for a loop at the worst time possible.

Now, I may be out of the loop, but this is the first I've heard of a current Inca emperor. The only Inca I know are the Quetchua, who are doing damn good if they can get enough to get dinner on the table.

By the time the Spaniards had arrived the cultural conflict of the matter of human sacrifices had come to a head (so to speak). There was ample reason to suggest then that this type of behavior was not a path to God so yes that was also an issue.

Nono you understood me wrong! There's only one Inca race.Yes. But see, for the 12 years that I studied the Inca history and culture(yes, 12 years), I have never ever heard anyone calling "inca" to an amerindian, we call them "indians" or "people from the Andes". (that's just the way we have called them since the beginning btw) and the only person we call inca is the actual Inca. I know the people were "Inca people" too, but it just sound weird to me.