CHAN CHAN AND SURROUNDING RUINS NEAR TRUJILLO, PERU (04/06/09)
Near to Trujillo are many pre-Inca ruin sites. They are mostly from the Moche and Chimu peoples and date to around 1500 years ago. Most of the ruins are still being excavated and during our visit we saw lots of archaeologists such as these above.
Due to the incredibly dry desert conditions these paintings have survived incredibly well buried in sand. The colours of this moon god could have been painted a year ago not over a thousand.
All the buildings were made from adobe mud bricks. Many bricks have been found with doodle-like pictures on them like those above. One theory is that some taxes were levied in bricks so the pictures were drawn to identify who was paying. Another, one that we prefer, is that making mud bricks is very boring and the workers drew the pictures to entertain themselves.
Looking over from the Moche Temple of the Moon to the Temple of the Sun. Most of the wide expanse, including the temple in the distance, has not even been started on by the archaeologists. A couple of corrugated iron roofs show where they are working.
A large picture of a monstrous spider.
Part of what would have been the huge painted exterior of the temple.
Part of the painted wall.
Two themes that ran right around the wall - dancing girls on the top and warriors below.
Next to the temple of the moon is this mountain where sacrificial victims were drugged before being thrown off the top to their deaths. Many skeletons with broken bones were recovered from beside the rocks at the bottom.
The temple of the sun which has not yet been excavated at all. It could contain even more impressive paintings than have already been found.
A desert shanty town on the side of the mountain. With no electricity or running water their lives even now may not be so different from their ancestors who built the great mud cities.
The gateway to another great mud temple - the temple of the dragon.
Detailed murals on the side of the temples.
One of the largest palaces in the enormous mud city of Chan Chan is the Tshudi Palace. These intricately designed walls were thought to house the tax collectors offices.
Inside the huge mud walls are a labyrinth of winding paths.
The main courtyard of the palace where the Chimu Lords would have addressed their subjects.
Luckily this area receives less than 20mm of rain per year. If it had any more the ruins would be destroyed. On the right hand side you can see where rain damage has streaked the wall.
A huge well within the palace walls. Water is very precious in the desert and this well is thought to have had great ceremonial significance.
Unexcavated buildings such as these stretch for miles in every direction making Chan Chan the largest pre-Columbian city known.
The desert home of the ruins stretches right to the sea where the small town of Huanchaco is to be found.
In Huanchaco around 40 local fishermen still use these traditional reed boats every day out at sea. Being that it was the middle of the day and there were so many boats along the beach you have to suspect that at least some of them are there for the tourists.
Two themes that ran right around the wall - dancing girls on the top and warriors below.
Next to the temple of the moon is this mountain where sacrificial victims were drugged before being thrown off the top to their deaths. Many skeletons with broken bones were recovered from beside the rocks at the bottom.
The temple of the sun which has not yet been excavated at all. It could contain even more impressive paintings than have already been found.
A desert shanty town on the side of the mountain. With no electricity or running water their lives even now may not be so different from their ancestors who built the great mud cities.
The gateway to another great mud temple - the temple of the dragon.
Detailed murals on the side of the temples.
One of the largest palaces in the enormous mud city of Chan Chan is the Tshudi Palace. These intricately designed walls were thought to house the tax collectors offices.
Inside the huge mud walls are a labyrinth of winding paths.
The main courtyard of the palace where the Chimu Lords would have addressed their subjects.
Luckily this area receives less than 20mm of rain per year. If it had any more the ruins would be destroyed. On the right hand side you can see where rain damage has streaked the wall.
A huge well within the palace walls. Water is very precious in the desert and this well is thought to have had great ceremonial significance.
Unexcavated buildings such as these stretch for miles in every direction making Chan Chan the largest pre-Columbian city known.
The desert home of the ruins stretches right to the sea where the small town of Huanchaco is to be found.
In Huanchaco around 40 local fishermen still use these traditional reed boats every day out at sea. Being that it was the middle of the day and there were so many boats along the beach you have to suspect that at least some of them are there for the tourists.
1 comment:
Excellent pictures, how apt Liz was standing at the entrance to the dragon temple. Did you venture out in a reed boat?
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