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Chinchaysuyu's District of
Chan Chan
Welcome to Chan Chan!
Chan Chan was the capital of the Kingdom of Chimor, also known as the
Chimu Empire. It was built between 850CE and 1470CE of Adobe brick and then
covered with a smooth surface on which they then carved inticate designs. The
city spans just over 7 1/2 square miles with an urban center of 2.3 square
miles. The center is dominated by the palaces of the Chimu Kings. By the time
the Chimu fell to the Inca around 1470CE, their empire stretched for 621 miles
along the Pacific coast.
The palaces of the Chimu Kings are surrounded by high walls, some as high as
26 feet, and have been characterized by three distinct rooms.
Audiencas
U-shaped rooms which have been interpreted to be administrative offices of the
Chimu elite. The audiencias are decorated with intricate freizes in the shape of
marine life animals and other related objects.
Store Rooms
The store rooms have a capacity of 2,000 square meters, but were found empty.
Archaeologists did, however find traces of the goods once stored here. The value
of these goods can be better understood by the placement of the audienca that
you would have to go through to get to the store room. It is apparent by the
size of the store rooms that the Chimu didn't store food here, but rather small
luxury goods.
Wells
The 3rd feature common among the palaces is a large, deep well. Dug deep enough
to access the water table, the wells were where the chimu grew their crops. The
wells today have dried out due to a lower water table.
Source Material:
write up: IncaNatura
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