Chan Chan (meaning "Sun Sun"), the archaeological site located near Trujillo in Peru, is the largest Pre-Columbian city in South America. It was the imperial capital of the Chimu Empire, Chimor, until it was conquered by the Inka in the 15th century. The vast mud city was built between c.850 and c.1470 and it is estimated that more than 30,000 people lived there, although strong seasonal fluctuation is suspected.
The city is made up of ten walled citadels which housed ceremonial rooms, burial chambers, temples, reservoirs and residences all interconnected by a labyrinth of passages. The walls themselves were constructed of adobe brick and decorated with intricate designs, which were carved into them. The designs are mostly of geometrical shapes and include both realistic and fantastic representations of animals including: birds, fish, squid and sea mammals. For carving, the Chimu seemed to prefer water themes as opposed to the feline forms concentrated on by earlier civilizations.
The complexity of the city has come to light only after years of intensive excavations. It covers an area of approximately 20 km² and is dominated by a series of huge enclosures: the palaces of the Chimu kings. Each of these palaces, most of which are laid out in a very similar fashion, are characterized by three types of structures: U-shaped audiencias, which are thought to have been used as administrative offices, storerooms, which are thought to have stored valuable goods and large, deep, walk-in-wells.
The commoners of Chan Chan, the artisans, fishermen, farmers and laborers, lived outside of the compounds in smaller structures similar to (although more complex than) huts. They were probably forbidden to enter the compounds, whose access was probably reserved for nobility.
The Chimu was a highly organized society that existed from around 1000 AD, to approximatley 1470 AD. Archaeological evidence suggests that the culture grew out of the remnants of the Moche culture; early Chimu pottery had some resemblance to Moche pottery.
The Chimu are known for their distinctive, solid colored pottery and their exceptionally fine metalwork copper, gold, silver and bronze. The pottery is often in the shape of a creature, or human figure. The shiny black finish on most Chimu pieces was achieved by firing the pottery at high temperatures in a closed kiln, which prevents oxygen from entering and reacting with the clay.
Agriculture was a major concern of the Chimu, who are known for the brilliance of their irrigation systems, which included inter-valley canals, to expand the area under cultivation. A long canal was built from the Chicama River to the north, in order to irrigate farmland near Chan Chan in the Moche Valley. The enormous area harvested in the Moche Valley in Pre-Hispanic times still surpasses the area currently cultivated. Some of these designs are still used today.
The Chimu were also experts in native medicinal plants and they bred many animals such as guinea pigs and a species of short necked llama, now extinct, which was used for transport.
In their religion, the Chimu worshiped the sea and the moon.
Unlike the Inca who worshiped the sun, the Chimu viewed the sun as a destroyer, which might be due to its harshness in their desert home.
They were completely devoted to the sea which, in their language, was called Ni. This adoration was reflected in every one of their adobe constructions, which were adorned with figures in the shape of sea animals, fishing tools, and sailing scenes. The ancient Chimu believed the sea was the origin of life. In contrast with the hostile desert environment, the sea was brimming with life and food which sustained not only their physical bodies but their souls as well. Their deities included fish, sea mammals and shellfish. The whale and the otter were revered, but one of the most special and holy of the sea mammals was the sea lion, which was believed to accompany the souls of the dead to the land of the afterlife.
The Chimu state was characterized by conquest and expansion; at one time, the empire encompassed about 620 square miles. Minchancamon was the last leader of the Chimu and also the greediest. His quest for expansion was the reason that the Chimu encountered the Inca in the south. The Inca destroyed the Chimu’s intricate canal/irrigation system and diverted the water back to the canal from whence it originated, in order to overwhelm, and eventually conquer, them.
Today Chan Chan is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The vast and fragile site was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1986; the city is severely threatened by erosion from El Niño, which causes heavy rains and flooding on the Peruvian coast.
Kuoda Tours brings travelers to visit Chan Chan, Trujillo, and Huanchaco, in Northern Peru, as well as to Machu Picchu and other regions all over this spectacular land. Please visit us at http://www.inturkuoda.com
Born in the US, Angela Thompson has lived and studied in Peru for 3 years. After graduating from high school in Cusco she received an internship in Kuoda Tours and is learning all about the basics of tourism there.
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