the Andes Mountains for Inca agriculture. Agricultural tools consisted mostly of simple digging sticks. The Inca developed Qollqas, a building made of:adobe, field stone, clay mortar, plaster and pirca" used for food storage. These granaries stored:corn, quinoa, tomatoes, potatoes, chicha (maize beer), fruit, salt, fish, tubers and grain". Qollqas allowed for the survival of food supplies in the cold climate of the Andes. The Inca also raised llamas and alpacas for their wool, meat and to use them as pack animals and captured wild vicuñas for their fine hair. The Inca road system was key to farming success as it allowed the distribution of foods over long distances. The Inca also constructed vast storehouses, which allowed them to live through El Niño years while some neighboring civilizations suffered. Inca leaders kept records of what each ayllu in the empire produced but did not tax them on their production. They instead used the mita for the support of the empire. The Inca diet consisted primarily of fish and vegetables, supplemented less frequently with the meat of cuyes (guinea pigs) and camelids. In addition, they hunted various animals for meat, skins and feathers. Maize was malted and used to make chicha, a fermented alcoholic beverage. Economy According to Ferreira and Chamot: "The social system of the Incas had an ancient Andean origin based on the ayllu, an extended family group with a common ancestor. The economic system was also based on ancient social structures and can be explained through several principles, namely reciprocity, redistribution, and vertical control." These authors also add: "Redistribution, a practice employed by the state, ensured that all agricultural goods not exchanged by reciprocity were to be distributed in the different areas of the empire in the case of bad crops." In essence, the Inca government functioned as a safeguard against mass starvation. Unlike the Europeans, gold and silver were not used as a form of currency. Instead, clothing and food were distributed by the rulers in exchange for labor. The Incan required tribute from those they conquered. Historical records show that agricultural production as well as cloth production increased after the Incan conquest. Infrastructure The "Qhapaq Ñan" (Inca Road) was largely used and constructed across the Inca Empire. Uses were not only for nobility to spread information and expand the empire but were also used for soldiers, for transportation of goods and private usage. Not only were Incan