Do you have questions about Paqarina, Inca history, or our resources? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled answers to our most common questions. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, please contact us at [email protected].
Category 1: About Paqarina
Paqarina is an online educational resource dedicated to the accurate and in-depth history, mythology, and culture of the Incas and other Andean civilizations. We provide articles, guides, teaching materials, and resources for educators, parents, and travelers. We are not a travel agency; we are an educational project.
Who is behind this site? Our project is founded and run by [Add description: e.g., “a team of historians, educators, and passionate researchers”] who are dedicated to providing high-quality information about the Andes. You can read our full story on our “About Us” page.
Are your materials really free? Most of our articles, guides, and blog posts on the site are available completely free of charge. We believe in open access to quality education.
Category 2: For Teachers & Parents
Can I use your materials in my classroom / for homeschooling? Yes, please! Our materials are designed for this exact purpose. You are free to use our articles and print our free materials for classroom or home use. However, you may not republish our content on your own site or sell our materials. Please see our “Terms of Service” for full usage details.
What age group are your “Incas for Kids” materials for? We try to create materials that are adaptable. Most of our guides for kids are best suited for elementary and middle school (ages 8-14). However, we always encourage parents and teachers to review the material first. For example, our guides on reading myths (like the Pacaritambo origin myth) are specifically designed to help adults navigate complex or scary themes when reading with younger children.
How do you conduct your fact-checking? This is the core of our mission. Our process includes:
- Relying on Primary Sources: We consult the work of leading archaeologists, anthropologists, and historians (e.g., [List 1-2 examples if you know them]).
- Cross-Referencing: We never rely on a single source, especially popular blogs or tourist sites.
- Contextualizing: We clearly separate archaeological data, historical chronicles and oral mythology. Our “Teacher’s Guide: Fact-Checking Books about the Incas” details this process.
Category 3: For Travelers
Are you a travel agency? Can you book my trip to Machu Picchu? No, we are not a travel agency and do not provide booking services. We are an educational resource. Our goal is to give you the knowledge to independently choose a tour or guide that aligns with your interests.
What’s the difference between your “myth-themed itinerary” for Cusco and a regular tour? Our guides (like the “Cusco & Around: 2-Day Myth-Themed Itinerary”) focus on the meaning of the places, not just their appearance. A standard tour will show you a rock. We will tell you why that rock is there, how it connects to the creation myth, and what it meant to the Incas. We help you see the invisible cultural landscape.
I’m traveling to Peru. What 3 articles on your site are “must-reads”?
- “Machu Picchu Reading List for Travelers” – So you arrive prepared.
- “Sacred Valley… In the Footsteps of Pacaritambo” – To understand the region.
- “How to Choose an ‘Inca Mythology’ Tour” – To select the right guide.
Category 4: About Inca History & Myth
What is Paqarina? A paqarina (Quechua) is a fundamental concept in Andean mythology, meaning a sacred “place of origin” or “source of life” for a specific clan (ayllu). According to belief, this could be a spring, cave, lake, or rock from which mythical ancestors emerged onto the earth to found their lineage. The paqarina served as the center of collective identity, a place of worship and ritual, and the point to which souls were believed to return after death. The most famous example is Pacaritambo, the legendary paqarina from which the founders of the Inca dynasty mythically emerged.
Are the Incas and the Maya the same? No. They are two completely different, though equally great, civilizations.
- The Maya lived in Mesoamerica (modern-day Mexico, Guatemala) and hit their peak much earlier (Classic Period 250-900 AD). They were known for their hieroglyphic writing and astronomy.
- The Inca lived in South America (the Andes, Peru) and built their empire much later (1400s-1533 AD). They were geniuses of engineering and administration and had no formal writing system, using the khipu (knotted-cord system) instead.
Did the Incas have writing? What is a khipu? The Incas did not have a writing system as we know it (like the Maya or Europeans). However, they had an incredibly complex information-recording system called a khipu (also spelled ‘quipu’). These were sets of cords with knots of different colors, types, and positions. For a long time, they were thought to be only for accounting (counting taxes, population, harvests). However, recent research suggests khipus may also have encoded narrative information—a form of three-dimensional “writing” that we still cannot fully decipher.