CHAN CHAN

Grade 8M.Wiener

WHAT IS IT?

Near the Moche Valley, Peru Capital of the Kingdom of Chimor

(Chimu Empire) America’s largest prehispanic mud-

brick settlement City covers 7.7 sq miles Origin: Beginning of the first

millennium AD when first large enclosure was built

CHIMU Agriculture was a major concern of the

Chimu Built miles of irrigation canals,

including inter-valley canals to expand area of cultivation

ARCHITECTURE Very tall walls 26ft high, enclose each

of the 11 citadels Huaca Obispo- largest Chan Chan

stepped pyramid U-shaped audiencias Storerooms Wells Winding passageways

U-SHAPED “AUDIENCIAS” Vary in sizes Interpreted as administrative offices Decorated elaborately

Clay friezes that represent shellfish Stylized waves Marine birds Fish

STOREROOMS

Capacity of 2,000 sq meters (Found empty)

Housed textiles and other small luxury goods Determined from imprints found

WALK-IN WELLS

Today are completely dried out Mechanized pumps Sent water to many parts of the

city Including “sunken gardens” where the produced consumed by the inhabitants of Chan Chan was grown

KINGS “one king- one palace” theory

from the excavation of several highly disturbed platforms found within citadel enclosures

Looting “mining”

Women used as human sacrifices Bones found at the central grave

near royal tomb

COMMONERS Lived outside of the compounds Forbidden to enter compounds Artisans, fishermen, farmers, laborers

Resided in what archaeologists call “intermediate architecture” –structures smaller than monumental compounds

Intermediate architecture housed an estimated 12,000 artisans, but otherwise the number is unknown

CHAN CHAN Population is unknown Tax records

Show looting of precious metals Production

Ceramics, textiles, woodworking, maize-beer

Inca Broke the back bone of the Chimu

economy