Inca Weapons

The inca weapons were use in battle with an abnormally close range, the battle had little central control once it begun and most of the inca warriors were fighting as individuals; The common inca strategy of war, was to divide the army in three types of warriors, each group specialize in the use of one weapon.

The slingshot was an important inca weapon, it was use to soft the battle field ground before the main attach; This men were train for years and they were capable to hit the head of an enemy on the move, at more than 70 meters of distance; The slingshot attach was send in waves, ones the first wave run out of stones, the second wave take over and so on until a new order was given.

The boleadoras were another inca weapon use to soft the battle field ground, they were throw against the first enemy line of the enemy army, to slow them down and make better targets for the slingshot shooters; Ones the enemy was too close to use the slingshots or boleadoras, the main attach begun.

The axes and truncheons with sharp stars of stone or copper were the most important set of inca weapons, the inca warriors were the equivalent of the infantry, the first wave of warriors use spears to attack their enemies and ones they were face to face, the warriors use their axes and truncheons, the incas army had an amazing discipline and courage.

The defense weapons were compose by a shield of copper or wood, one copper chest apron with a leather layer inside with cotton for cushioning, two cnemis protection and two arms protection made of copper, with cotton cushion to protect the skin; The warriors use a type of wood or copper helmet and in occasions, only a copper protection of the forehead, the helmets and the foreheads were always decorate with feathers.

During the inca education of a man, the military service was obligatory, it begun when the boy became 16 years old and it last from three to four years of heavy training; They were train in the use of all inca weapons, but at the end each soldier must choose one weapon specialty; The young men that show special skills, were chosen to continue their training for several more years, it was an honor to be chosen, because this young men will become the future officers of the inca armies.

It is important to remark that during the officers military service, the future officers were train in tactics attacks, ambush, survival skills, resistance to cold environments and rare trainings to make them do not be afraid against weapons; In some occasions, the inca trainers put a sharp knife close to the trainee eyes and if he move one muscle, the trainee was kick out of the military school, it was a severe merciless training.

The deep training in all inca weapons provide by the military officers to the trainees, was observe by their families, it was common that the parents encourage their sons to carry on fighting with phrases like, “better die trying, than surrender during the fight”; The generalize madness for honor and no surrender some times end up with the dead of some trainees.

The success of the inca war campaigns, were not only because the intense training of their warriors, it happens because the entire incas society was devoted to war; On the battle fields the axes and truncheons with sharp stars of stone or copper, were the best weapon of the inca warriors, plus the heroic moral, the resistance to struggle and the self confidence of this men, create the myth of the invincible inca warrior.

Every inca citizen was train in how to use all inca weapons, so all inca citizens were potential soldiers; When the inca government give the order to put together the army, the order was re send it to the entire kingdom; Ones a man get the order, he pick up his weapons, armor, equipment and assign a person to take care of his agriculture responsibilities, because he did not know for how long he will be away.

It is known that an order to put together the inca army, could take two days to travel to the farther places of the kingdom, the entirely professional army with more than 150,000 inca warriors, with his own inca weapons and equipment, could assemble together in less than two weeks; This is an amazing example of the level of discipline and organization of the inca empire.

See Inca WeaponsTours

Do you have
any Questions?
Ask Me!

Anonymous Chat