Rough Draft

It is more than apparent that in today’s society food and its preparation play an important role in our many cultures. From the times that we eat, to what we eat and how we eat it, our diet is a major factor in defining who we are. But was this the same hundreds of years ago? Did the culinary aspect of people’s lives in ancient civilizations have the impact then that they do today? The answer, of course, is yes. Food was much more important to society then than it is now, for it was the cornerstone of early civilizations and the key to their survival.
Food had a large impact on tradition, the economy, and the everyday lives of the people who belonged to these ancient civilizations. Two civilizations demonstrate this fact very well: the Incas and the ancient Aztecs.
Most have heard of the Incas and the myths of their existence, but no documents kept by the Incans themselves exist today to prove these myths. All that is known about the Incas came from word of mouth; the mouths of the Conquistadors and priests. (Platts, 1)
The beginnings of the Inca empire happened some time before the 12th century, and was founded by a man by the name of Manco Capac. Manco and Mama Ocllo (his wife) traveled to the valley of Cuzco (Peru), where the Incan civilization began (Platts, 1). Cuzco later became the capital of the Incan civilization.
The Incas often warred with their neighboring tribes, and often won. It was the attack of Francisco Pizarro in 1532, though, that brought about the fall of the Incan civilization. The capture of the last Inca survivor marked the end of the Inca empire in 1572.
The Aztecs, too, are quiet famous in history, and many have also heard of their success. Their rule was much shorter than that of the Incas though, for they lasted just under 100 years. Their empire stretched from Mexico to Guatemala, from 1427 to 1521 (Aztec Empire, 1). They began their legendary reign when their leader, Itzcoatl, gathered the help of surrounding cities, and overthrew the Tepanecs, who had ruled the Mexican basin. (Aztec Empire, 1)
The Aztecs were known for their unusual war traditions. They fought not to destroy, but to annex their captors in to their society. This provided a much stronger and ever-growing kingdom to the Aztecs. One of the greatest accomplishments the Aztecs were known for was their complex calendar system.
The Aztec empire fell with the attack of Hernan Cortes in 1519. The Spaniards used the Aztecs own men from smaller colonies to revolt and overthrow their rule. Small-pox then swept through their land, and to the city of Tenochtitlan, and decimated the last of the Aztecs by August 13th, 1521.
Both the Aztecs and the Incas relied heavily on agriculture. In turn, food played an important roll not just in everyday life, but also in their economy.
The Incan agricultural system was an impressive one. “Large-scale terracing and irrigation systems” (Platts, 1) were constructed. A large portion of their highland valleys were completely reshape with terraces, in order to increase the amount of tillable land. Irrigation systems near the coastal desert regions of their empire, though, “were built long before the Incas had conquered that region of the land.” (Platts, 1) These were especially important considering most of their land was located in high mountain ranges, where food production is difficult.
Lacking modern appliances, the Incas needed ways to store and preserve their food in order to maintain such a large empire. One way they did this was through special preparation of their food. Potatoes, one of the Incas most important crops, were left outside through the night to freeze. The frozen-potatoes were then collected and sun-dried, and produced the end result chuno. Chuno could be stored for long periods of time without worry of becoming spoiled. Meat, though rarely eaten, also underwent a drying process in order to preserve the sustenance as long as possible. (Platts, 1)
As mentioned above, the potato, along with other tuber crops, were very important to all Andian residents. A large part of the Incan empire was located in the Andean Cordillera, a mountain range with harsh climates. Not many crops would flourish in this area, so the Incas relied a great deal on potatoes and tuber crops for food. Another staple crop of Incas was corn. Corn was raised at lower altitudes, and provided the Inca with much of their nutrition. (Platts, 1) Corn was also made in to an alcoholic beverage called chicai. (Fowler, 1)
The most important of the Incas staple foods was quinoa (pronounced keen-wah). Quinoa is known as the mother grain because of its unusually high nutritional value (“Quinoa, Food of the Inca” 1). It could be cultivated at high altitudes, and provided the Incan people with much of their protein, as they rarely ate meat (Wilber, 1).
When they did eat meat, though, the Incas turned to the llama. Llamas provided much to the Incas, including wool, meat, and droppings for kindling. The llamas were also used for transporting food and other supplies over rocky terrain. For these reasons, the llama was considered sacred to the Incan people. (Platts, 1)

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Outline

I. (Brief) Background of two cultures
a. Inca
1. Dates
2. Rise and Fall
3. Important Facts (general history)
b. Aztec
1. Dates
2. Rise and Fall
3. Important Facts (general history)
II. Food and Cooking on the Economy
a. Inca
1. Storage
2. Staple Crops
3. Success
b. Aztec
1. Storage
2. Staple Crops
3. Success
III. Average Tradition of Food
a. Inca
1. Peasants
2. Rulers
3. Recipes
b. Aztecs
1. Peasants
2. Rulers
3. Recipes
IV. Special Traditions of or Involving Food (Holidays)
a. Inca
1. Inti Raymi
i. Background
ii. What they do
b. Aztec
1. Dia de los Muertos
i. Background
ii. What they do
V. Lasting Effect on Today’s culture
a. Incan foods and traditions still around today
b. Aztec foods and traditions still around today
c. Various recipes of modernized Aztec and Incan dishes