Peru is blessed with more than its fair share of ruins. Dozens of ancient civilizations have come and gone and left their crumbled remains for future generations to explore, ponder, and attempt to recreate.
I spent my first few weeks in Peru enjoying a number of different ruins and learning about the cultures that left them behind.
Cajamarca Culture
Roughly 1000BC, the Cajamarca people built the Cumbe Mayo canal and aqueduct that stretched for 9km along the mountain tops to the city below.
This canal is said to be the oldest surviving man-made structure in South America.
What amazed me about the canal was the precision – and the fact that it remained functional 3000 years later! Over one 3km stretch, the elevation changes only 50m which creates a slow (nearly unnoticeable) but steady water flow for the people below. Impressive engineering skills!
This same culture had an interesting way to bury their dead. Rather than easily dig a hole in the ground, they decided to dig caves (by hand), several meters deep, into the volcanic rocks for each of their dead chieftains.
A total of 337 niches have been excavated – each containing a body in the fetal position.
Seems like a lot of work to dig a grave, doesn’t it?
The Moche Culture
The Moche people lived in central Peru from 100-600AD. They built towns and temples entirely out of adobe (mud bricks) and have left the largest adobe structure in all of the Americas – the stunning pyramid-shaped Temple of the Sun.
This temple today is only 30% of its former size. The original temple contained over 50 million hand-made adobe bricks!
According to Spanish texts (written 1000 years later), nearly 200,000 people were involved in the initial construction of this temple.
Across the valley from the Temple of the Sun is the Temple of the Moon. This structure continues to be excavated by an international team of archeologists.
The Temple of the Moon contains beautiful frescos of their mountain god; their colors vibrant 1500 years later!
This valley is still being researched by archeologists so I’m sure that more will be found and much more will eventually come to light about the Moche culture. . .
The Chachapoyans
The Chachapoyans lived in northern Peru and built their mountaintop citadel of Kuelap around 600AD. This area was occupied by these people until the Incans conquered them in the 1400’s.
The city of Kuelap was built to be an easily defensible fortress. The limestone walls are over 65 feet high and up to 6 feet thick!
The city of Kuelap was built to be an easily defensible fortress. The limestone walls are over 65 feet high and up to 6 feet thick!
The entrances to the fortresses are all very narrow, giving the defenders inside easy access to intruders.
At the height of this civilization over 3000 people lived here. The remains of over 200 round stone houses dot the mountaintop – some with truly breathtaking views!
The Chimu Empire
The Chimu Empire dominated the Moche Valley near modern-day Trujillo on Peru’s coast from 1100 AD until they were conquered by the Incans in the 1470s. Their capital city was Chan-Chan, one of the largest pre-Colombian cities in the Americas.
The remains of the city are truly incredible to see. The city is located in the vast Peruvian desert along the Pacific coast. The city was made entirely of mud bricks many of which, due to the extremely low rainfall in the area, still exist. The first few times I drove past the area, I saw only sand dunes, nothing more.
Only when you look a bit closer, do you start to see walls taking shape. . .
Of course, archeologists work hard to make visualizing these ancient civilizations easier for the rest of us. . .so certain parts of the city have been restored. I will admit, after traipsing through multiple ruins, I prefer them when they've been restored. . .
Chan Chan was once a massive city, housing over 100,000 people at its height. The plan of the entire city is a bit overwhelming.
Unfortunately, this city met its demise like so many before it. Having been built in the middle of a desert, the city depended on regular water from a nearby river and a complex series of canals and aqueducts. When the Incans came to the Moche Valley, they needed only to cut off the city’s water source, and the leaders quickly surrendered.
In the end, exploring all of these ruins makes me wonder what of our culture will remain in 2000 or 3000 years? Will future generations be looking at tacky souvenir shops and the golden arches and speculating about what gods we worshipped. . .
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