Getting High in Peru: The Dragon Temple and Chan–Chan.

The Chimu of Huaca del Dragon and Chan–Chan (Sun-Sun)

 

We have looked at the Moche and Sican and now the Chimu.

There are more than five major pre-Incan archaeological sites in the Chiclayo-Trujillo area, two of them are Moche sites, dating from AD 100 to 700, and another three are principally Chimu dating from AD 900 to 1470 when the Incas took charge. The Moche built the massive mudbrick platforms and pyramids, had evidently a highly organized religion, and were highly skilled ceramicists, metallurgists, and textile makers. Their massive structures were a surprise for me. The Sican likely were descendants of the Moche and, for a time, roughly contemporary to the Chimu. The Chimu ruled from around AD 900 to 1470, when they were either taken over by or joined with the Inca. Another Moche site, El Brujo, south of Chiclayo that survived into Chimu times was treated earlier. The now famous Moche site, Sipan, with its Royal Tombs and the Lord of Sipan will be treated next in the near future (ojala).    

       The Chimu, contemporaries of the Sican, appear to be more functional with their crafts and less artistic than the Moche. Their typical blackware ceramics can be seen in several museums, but while ceramic artistry may have declined, their skill in metallurgy improved. We will first look at the Huaca del Dragon, said to be a Chimu religious site. It is fairly well preserved since it was buried until the 1960s; however, the 1983 El Nino damaged the friezes. From the top platform you can see Chan-Chan (Sun-Sun), the largest of the Chimu sites covering 20 sq. km or 7.7 sq. miles (or by another measure 36 sq. km or 14 sq. miles) , and by the 15^th century may have housed 60,000 people with room to spare (There are higher estimates.). It was the largest adobe (mudbrick) city in the world, but El Ninos in the past and recent past have devastated the site. Enough of this ancient site can still be viewed, and even though the Spanish took away much of the gold and silver, with looters taking still more, recent archaeological excavations have found and recovered untouched tombs. Artifacts from Chan-Chan can be experienced in Museo Bruning in Chiclayo before going out to the sites located in Trujillo.

 Entering Huaca del Dragon

You can see the ruins of Chan-Chan from the top of Huaca del Dragon

      Huaca del Dragon is also known as Huaca Arco Iris (Rainbow Temple). You should discover the reason for both names as you enter the site. Its walls were once painted, and you need to look closely to find some remains of yellow. It is a small site and as you walk around the defensive wall to the entrance, you can easily determine the slightly pyramidal walls and you soon see the numerous rainbow designs. Now, look underneath each rainbow. Do you see the sea creatures or dragons facing each other? You should also see other sea creatures as well as hundreds of soldiers with their weapons. As you pass by and photograph the designs, you walk up the ramp to the top of the Huaca. You’ll see empty excavated holes or “bins,” in which the skeletal remains of infants were recovered. It is surmised that they are sacrificial remains. From the top, which is not much above street level, you can see to the southeast the mountain against which the Moche Huacas del Sol and de la Luna, which were treated earlier. And, to the south are the ruins of Chan-Chan, which must have been the capital city of the Chimu. That’s where we will go next. 

See the rainbow? Now look under it to find the dragons.

Heading for the entrance

The rainbow and dragons with armed soldiers surrounding them

Closeup of the rainbow, dragons, plus other sea creatures, and soldiers

Similar friezes line all the walls

Good shot for perspective. All this had been buried.

Huacas del Sol and de la Luna up against that mountain. Now to Chan-Chan.

      Chan-Chan, a huge mudbrick Chimu city with an estimated 60,000 residents by the 15th century had vast quantities of gold, silver, and ceramics even when joining with the Incas until the Spanish arrived after which only gold dust remained. El Ninos then devastated this site. As you go to and from Trujillo’s airport, you will see signs for Chan-Chan and the hopeless mudbrick ruins alongside the road. Recently, archaeologists and conservationists began their work and have recovered tombs (fortunately) missed by the Spanish and the looters. 

Approaching Chan-Chan

Entrance into the Ceremonial Courtyard

Inside the Courtyard--note the size--here the Chimu lords held public displays

     This Chimu capital city had ten royal compounds and a recently discovered royal burial complex. The Palacio Nik-An complex has been partially restored and in entering its Ceremonial Courtyard, you get a glimpse of what you will see as you continue on. The compound is huge with 4-m thick walls (13 feet and up to 50 feet in height) decorated with geometric designs plus sea otters (?) and pelicans. As you continue along the outer wall, you see waves of fish and sea birds below. The diamond shapes represent fishnets. The sea birds had been painted with yellow and black, and the fishnets had been painted white. Do these friezes dedicated to the ocean and life within it reflect Chimu religious beliefs? This may be a logical conclusion, but the Chimu had no written language so what their beliefs were remains unclear. It is said in various resources that the Chimu worshipped the moon and noted its relationship to the ocean, which provided much of the Chimu diet. Again, this may be a logical conclusion but not supported with a Chimu archive. 

Waves of fish

Fishnets

Fishnets line numerous walls

A sofa (divan)

     There is a large labyrinthine part of the complex referred to as “Audience Rooms” though its function is currently unknown. What is especially interesting is the décor again with the fishnets, numerous pelicans, and fish. The Chimu and Chan-Chan were close to the sea. The sea and the moon must have had a special significance for the Chimu.

Fishnets and pelicans

 A labyrinth of rooms

     As you continue your walk through this immense site, you eventually come to a large enclosed “sacred lake” (Egyptian term), which here is called simply a “well.” But, as in ancient Egypt, the signage here says that the water was used in religious ceremonies dedicated to water and fertility cults. Currently, this sacred lake is appropriately inhabited by water fowl. 

More pelicans and fishnet

A maze of rooms

Here is the well/sacred lake

 

The sacred lake is home for waterfowl

      Eventually you will find the mausoleum where the lord (king) was interred. Surrounding his burial shaft are 44 secondary tombs containing concubines, officials, and other grave goods. It appears that all three categories were supplied to the king to care for him in the afterlife.

A model showing the lord/king's tomb accompanied by the other 44 tombs

The shaft in which lay the lord or king above and below

A replica has been placed in the tomb

Museum display of the king

Museum painting of Chan-Chan

Museum drawing of the site--at the top of the "well" and tomb; in the foreground is the courtyard

Museum display: The king being carried to his tomb

The beach is very near Chan-Chan where today's fishermen still use the reed boats

The pelicans too are still there

Reed fishing boat and pelicans

Village mural of the ancient sea creatures and reed boat

Chan-Chan had been built in a desert but the Chimu further developed irrigation systems enabling them to turn the desert wastelands into fertile fields that should have fed thousands of people. Besides diverting water from the nearby Moche River, the Chimu also diverted water from the Chicama River, 50-miles north. With the arrival of the Inca around 1470, the Inca did not destroy what the Chimu had perfected, but it is noted that they sent Chan-Chan’s craftsmen to Cusco.

            What the Inca and the Spanish (and now modern looters) did not destroy is now being destroyed by rain with the increased frequency of El Ninos. Alas, every time rains hit the adobe, more of it collapses into mud. In October 2013, it was reported here that people were dumping tons of waste onto the vast site, which, of course, is another serious concern. 
Paz, Neal Bierling