Final answer:
The Inca were a small community near Cuzco in the late 1300s that grew into an influential civilization known for masterful stonemasonry and strong military presence, ultimately creating an empire through conquest and assimilation of cultures like the Chimú, before the Europeans arrived.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the late 1300s, the Inca were only a small community in the area of Cuzco. From historical and archaeological evidence, it is known that they emerged as agricultural villagers by around 1000. Over time, through both peaceful and violent means, they grew in power and numbers, becoming a formidable military force centered on Cuzco, which by the early sixteenth century, was an impressive stone city. The Inca civilization, known for their master stonemasonry, began their imperial conquests in the mid-fifteenth century under the leadership of their first Sapa Inca, Pachacuti.
Their rise to power saw them assimilate various other societies such as the Chimú, who had intricate metal works and black ceramics, and were one of the last to be conquered by the Incas. These conquered peoples formed the patchwork of the empire that the Incas governed, and some welcomed the European conquest as a liberation from Inca rule.