Long before the Inka (Inca) rose to power in South America there had been other indigenous civilizations. One of these was the Chimu whose capital city was Chan Chan in the Moche Valley of Northern Peru. The city was established about 850 and was occupied until the Chimu were conquered by the Inka in 1470.
Chan Chan is the largest pre-Hispanic mud-brick settlement in the Americas. The city covered nearly eight square miles and the densely packed core of the city covers 2.5 square miles.
Chan Chan consists of 10 huge walled enclosures called ciudadelas. The walls which enclose the ciudadelas are made of adobe brick and are up to 30 feet high. These areas served as the palaces of the Chimu kings. Each of these enclosures contains elaborate meeting, living, and storage facilities. They also contain multi-storied, platform-like burial structures which originally contained large quantities of sacrifices and goods.
A palace wall is shown above.
All of the palaces appear to have been laid out in a similar fashion and are characterized by three basic kinds of structures: U-shaped structures, storerooms, and large, deep, walk-in wells. The U-shaped structures were administrative offices and residences.
The storerooms were extensive and could have a capacity of about 20,000 square feet. The goods which had been stored in these rooms were probably removed by the Inka following their conquest of the Chimu empire. Archaeologists have found evidence that the rooms contained manufactured goods, including textiles.
The main courts were decorated with mud friezes depicting maritime motifs. The adobe walls were smoothed over with mud and then the designs were carved into them. These motifs represent stylized waves, marine birds, shellfish, and fish. One frieze shows a reed boat with a cormorant and a giant squid about to gobble a fish. While the scenes may symbolize Chimu myth and ideology, they also seem to show the daily lives of Chimu fishermen and traders.
Most of the palaces contain burial structures with a central tomb, most likely the burial place for the king. The T-shaped tombs are found at the center of burial platforms. These contain offering chambers which hold elaborate offerings of metalwork, ceramics, and textiles. Human sacrifice may have accompanied the burial of the king as evidenced by the fact that dozens of women were also buried with, or near, him.
The palaces appear to have been built in pairs, which may indicate that the Chimu empire was ruled by dual kings.
Access to the palaces was highly restrictive: the site has long corridors, winding passageways (described by some as “tortuous”), and small entrances. Archaeologists tend to feel that the flow of people into the palaces was tightly controlled.
In addition to the ciudadelas or palaces, Chan Chan has about 35 smaller walled compounds which are similar to the palaces only on a smaller scale. These were probably the residences of the Chimu nobility.
The bulk of Chan Chan’s population—estimated to be about 30-50,000 people—lived in small, irregularly agglutinated rooms (that is, simple huts). Many of the inhabitants of Chan Chan were artisans who were engaged in metalworking, weaving, woodcarving, and lapidary work. The workers of Chan Chan appear to have been specialists in producing small, but valuable, luxury goods which probably served as status symbols for the lords of the Chimu empire.
To the north of the city is the Huaca Obispo, a large stepped pyramid.
Chan Chan, which is protected by a large wall (50-60 feet high) to the north, also includes deep walk-in wells (up to 45-50 feet in depth), sunken fields, and cemeteries. The sunken fields were constructed by digging large, deep trenches until the surface was moist enough to sustain agriculture. In this way, the Chimu were able to expand their agricultural areas.