Archaeological sites Trujillo

Buried under the sand, it is one of the most impressive pre-Incan cities of Peru. In the Muchik language, spoken on the coast before the arrival of the Incas, Chan Chan means "where there was sun". It was the capital of the Chimú Empire which shone from the 9th to the 15th century, after having supplanted the Mochica kingdom (4th to 9th century). It was inscribed by Unesco on the List of Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 1986. The world's largest earthen city covered an area of 14 km² and included no less than 28 palaces where some 150,000 people would have lived. It is believed that the Chimu civilization was military with a lord and master of each valley.

Of this grandiose city, only theadobe

walls remain today, which the storms continue to erode. There are still nine palaces standing. Of the palaces of Chaiwac, Uhle, Laberinto, Gran Chimú, Squier, Velarde, Bandalier and Nik An, several have been restored and copies of the original friezes installed to give a more accurate idea of the place. They are scattered along the Pan-American Highway and the most impressive one, Palacio Nik An, is visited.

The Palacio Nik An (the palace of the center in Muchik language) - ex-Palacio Tschudi - is a monumental complex that is breathtaking: you walk between the brick walls, some of which are 13 m high, and you open onto immense spaces, the patios. The walls are filled with bas-reliefs representing fish, birds, fantastic animals and squirrels in a repetitive and bewitching way. The spaces are each time divided into 3 levels: the smooth sky, the sea represented by lines and waves and the earth and its animals. A central space, now populated by reeds, was one of the largest purifying baths. Nearly 140 water wells have been found all around Chan Chan, 90% of which are inside the palaces: he who possessed the water possessed the power. It is here in this immense palace that the Festival of the Dead and its sacred mummies were celebrated, for which the inhabitants brought tributes from all over the valley, so we think that a large part of it was also a granary or depository for all the offerings.

Note that Chan Chan includes four sites rather spaced: the main complex called Palacio Nik An, the site museum (rather basic), Huaca Esmeralda and Huaca Arco Iris. It is also worthwhile to negotiate a taxi to go from one site to the other.

Itis in the Huaca de la Luna that the remains of 107 sacrificed warriors and numerous polychrome bas-reliefs were unearthed. We explore the site via stairs installed all along the building to have a better view on the friezes. Unfortunately, everything is quite degraded, but the remaining friezes marvel at their detail and color. Archaeologists say that more than 250,000 people participated in its construction. Its construction lasted no less than 600 years!

We find there especially Aie Paec painted of red and ochre, the god with the teeth of feline surrounded by birds and snake, which represents the mountain when Cico paec is the marine god surrounded by waves. The most impressive wall is located on the back part of the huaca: 6 floors of distinct friezes with the procession of the winners and losers chained, the priests, the spiders, the fishermen and so on successively

Around the years 600 or 650, the region undergoes chronic El Niño phenomena which leads to a social revolt since neither the priests nor the nobles manage to control the climate and then a progressive migration which will give birth to the neighboring Chan Chan built on a terraced ground which allows the water to filter. In spite of everything, the Huaca del Sol et de la Luna remains a place of worship, of homage to the ancestors buried here.

The Huaca del Sol is the highest in Peru with its 45 m. It is not open to the public and has not yet been the subject of extensive excavations. It is imposing and photogenic, compared to its neighbor which was gradually deconstructed to access the treasures it contained.

The museum,subsidized by private funds, is very didactic and rich. A visit not to be missed. Here we find the offerings with which the dead were buried. You can also see anthropomorphic animals, realistic portraits where the features are drawn with precision and scenes of sacrifice. Today we think that sacrifices were not so frequent, but that a special caste was raised and trained for the office of fighter, a bit like noble gladiators. In crucial moments, such as the El Niño phenomenon, fights were organized and the winners and losers were separated. The defeated ones remained between 10 or 15 days to be prepared for their ultimate sacrifice. Finally, some huari ceramics testify to the last phase of occupation of the place.