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Chan
Chan
Following El Brujo, we moved forward through prehistory
to the Chimú and their Late Intermediate capital of Chan Chan. Chan Chan
was far too large to view from any single point, and even crossed over
to the other side of the Pan-American Highway. In fact, we did not even
succeed in exploring the entirety of a single ciudadela-the administrative
hub and elite quarters of the Chimú rulers. This ciudadela had immense
adobe walls surrounding the perimeter and plazas within, most of which
were decorated with three-dimensional geometrically stylized designs.
The origination of the geometric style was in woven textiles, where artisans
are confined to using different colored squares of material. Upon entering,
one must follow a long corridor and then turn into a large, symmetrical
open plaza.  After
this, more corridors bring you by the audiencias-smaller rooms with u-shaped
throne structures. Beyond the audiencias lay storage rooms, a second,
smaller plaza, and finally, the burial platform. There was little left
to see here after the huaqueros looted it, but it gave a good vantage
point to see the site. The most impressive structure in the compound was
the garden, where the Chimú dug the floor down to the water table to make
it possible to practice agriculture within the compound. This area was
filled with enough water to be considered miniature wetlands when we visited
it. Two areas we were unable to explore were the servants' quarters with
a walk-in well, and the actual elite residences. One purpose of the ciudadelas
is certain-restricted access. I found it difficult to get from one place
to another among the wandering corridors without losing my way, so with
just a handful of armed guards, the rulers of the Chimú could have kept
anyone out of their palace. Hopefully archeologists are let in to do work
in the future, though, since it seems there are multiple phases of construction
under some of the ciudadelas, as seen in the stratigraphy of huaqueros'
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 Cerro
Blanco
Back again to the Moche culture, we visited
the first Moche capital, Cerro Blanco. The entire city is buried under
sand with the exception of the Huaca de la Luna and Huaca del Sol (the
largest adobe structure in the new world). Everything we were able to
see in the Huaca de la Luna was remarkably similar to El Brujo, except
on a larger scale. Again, we had different phases of construction built
on top of one another, painted friezes, mostly of the decapitator, and
a few burials. One aesthetic element of Moche art clearly visible here
was their alternation of colors. In one painting, the decapitator would
be blue on a yellow background, and in the next, the colors would be
reversed. This applied to almost all of their repeated patterns. Also
regarding paint, the adobe huacas easily blend into the landscape of
browns and grays today, looking like dunes or hills from a distance.
However, it seems the Moche painted the exterior walls with solid bright
yellows, reds, and even white where friezes were not already constructed.
I can only imagine what a red and yellow-striped pyramid would have
looked like on the dreary coastal landscape. There was not much to see
in the Huaca del Sol, since the Spanish swept half the pyramid away
by diverting the nearby river.
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