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Gke1 Task 1

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PART A The most significant physical geographical factor that contributed to the development of the ancient South American society of the Incas was the Andes Mountains. The Inca Empire had villages and cities throughout the Andes Mountains. Some of these settlements were as low as sea level and their capital, Cusco, was at an altitude of 11,200 feet. The Andes are considered some of the longest and highest mountain ranges. In fact it’s tallest peak, Mount Aconcaqua, in Argentina, tops out at 22,841 feet (Zimmermann, 2013). Despite the fact that people were traversing mountains the people flourished creating trails, aqueducts and agricultural practices that still exist today. Almost every aspect of the Incas life were affected by the Andes. Due to the changes in climate and altitude from one settlement to another, the Incas had to develop resilient breeds of crops including potatoes, quinoa and corn (Graber, 2011). Not only were the mountains home to the Incas believed them to be Gods. They created some of the most indelible cities right into the sides of the mountains in an extremely precise manor that is still studied to this day. For these reasons and many more, the Andes Mountains are certainly one of reasons the ancient people of South America grew as a civilization.

PART B The process of diffusion between early human societies can easily be seen through the use and distribution of the potato throughout the globe. The potato was originally cultivated in South America between 3000 and 7000 years ago although some scientists believe that it could have grown wild as long as 13,000 years ago (Chapman, n.d.). Scientists who studied the genetic patters of the potato believe that it originated in the west-central, mountainous region of the continent. The potato was a favorite of the Inca civilization as it grew well in the harsher climates that

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