Editing Inca road system (section)

===Transportation===
[[File:Qapaq Nan on causeway from Chucuito DSC 4275.jpg|thumb|The Inca road bordering the Titicaca lake seen from the ''mirador'' of Chucuito, Peru.]]
Transportation was done on foot as in pre-Columbian America; the use of wheels for transportation was not known. The Inca had two main uses of transportation on the roads: the [[chaski|chasqui]] (runners) for relaying information (through the [[quipu|quipus]]) and lightweight valuables throughout the empire, and llamas caravans for transporting goods.

Llamas<ref group="note">Although very similar to llamas, alpacas are not pack animals.</ref> were used as [[pack animal]]s in large flocks. They are lightweight animals and cannot carry much but are incredibly nimble. To transport large numbers of goods across the empire, it was more efficient for the Incas to use herds of llamas and to have two or three herdsmen.<ref name="D'Altroy1992"/>{{rp|242}} Herdsmen would drive the animals carrying their loads up the steep mountain roads, increasing carrying capacity without risking additional lives.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Main Andean Road – Qhapaq Nan|journal=UNESCO|date=10 July 2009}}</ref> Llamas have soft, padded hoofs, which give them good traction and a negligible impact on the road surface. Llamas of the Q'ara race (short-haired variety), which are used also in contemporary caravans, can carry about {{convert|30|kg|lb}} for a distance of {{convert|20|km|mi}} per day, when necessary they can carry up to {{convert|45|kg|lb}} for short trips. They forage on natural vegetation.<ref name="Nielsen"/>{{rp|168}}