INCA-16N
John Jenkins Designs
Not yet released - expected in early February.
The Colla tribe were noted for their coneshaped black woolen cap, called a “Chukka”, which normally had a crescent badge on the front. The uncu is always depicted as striped , divided into four vertical panels. The characteristic weapon of the Colla tribe was the bolas, which was made up of two to five fist sized stone weights wrapped in rawhide and attached to 18 inch cords. These could bring down a charging horse by entangling its legs, and is recorded as being used against Spanish cavalry during Manco’s rebellion.
These soldiers were fiercely competitive with each other, and were called “huaminca”, meaning veterans.
These veterans received formal military training as part of their coming of age on reaching 14 or 15 years of age. They were taught not only how to use various weapons but also how to manufacture them.
They would undergo numerous tests of courage and stamina, on successful completion of which they received assorted insignia denoting their status, including having their ears pierced, as well as being given the traditional Inca weapons of sling, mace and shield.