Learn about the cultural importance of gold for Inca civilization
Among the Incas, a highly developed civilization in 13th-16th century South America, gold was believed to be the sweat of the sun. The sun was sacred, and the official religion was the sun cult. These people began working gold in pre-Incan times. The Moche of modern-day Peru were, for example, already practicing gold-working techniques at the start of the first millennium and were making objects containing several kilograms of gold. Historians are certain that the gold riches of the Incas were of legendary proportions.
These indigenous people were master goldsmiths. They used to blow pipes to fan the flames in their simple ovens so they could smelt this precious metal. For the Inca gold was also the blood of Viracocha, their sun god. He is now commonly considered the chief god, at least in pre-Incan cultures. Gold was sacred. It was greatly prized in cult, but had no material value. The craft of working gold was a religious ritual.
https://www.britannica.com/video/180018/gold-importance-Incas