Chan Chan was a site we had long wanted to visit but, when it came, the “reality” didn’t, for a number of reasons, quite live up to the “vision”! One’s image of unvisited places is often built up in subliminal ways and mine I guess came largely from a 1972 book “Monuments of Civilisation – The Andes” whose photos showed a “remote” ruin devoid of modernity, stretching as far as the eye could see. The reality today is a complex of posts and protective roofs(Photo)with smooth “replastered” walls/decorations and entrance limited to just one part – the so called Tschudi Palace (or “Nik-An”) which is just 1 of 9 (or 10 - see later) such “palaces” thought to be 1 for each Chimu king (and there are vast areas beyond the main compounds of workshops, lesser housing and other monuments). The site also perhaps suffered in comparison with Huaca de la Luna which we had seen in the morning. The lively polychrome frescos there made the artwork at Chan Chan which consists of moulded and stylised creatures/shapes in grey mud look very dull! Back home, however, the site’s significance and value seems somewhat greater. Despite the downsides, it is one of the world’s great archaeological sites and a visit should be undertaken by anyone interested in archaeology.

The site suffers just about every preservation problem one could imagine – erosion by wind and rain, ground water ingress, looting, squatting, farming, road building, rubbish dumping etc. As we approached by the main road we could see the undoubted signs of archaeological remains on every side but the “integrity” looked very weak. I hadn’t appreciated that we would only be allowed into just 1 compound – but that was pretty big by itself and took almost 2 hours to go round so I guess one can understand why the Peruvian authorities limit the areas which are open so as to reduce security etc problems. It appears that digging continues in some of the other areas – in 2006 for instance 18 carved wooden warriers were discovered in the Velarde Palace. The lay-outs of the various compounds (sometimes referred to as “Citadels” rather than “Palaces”) are very similar – Each consists of a tall walled (originally and, where restored, up to 9 metres high) enclosure containing a standard range of structures albeit with the location and numbers varying, but generally oriented in the same way North to South – Plazas, smaller courtyards, U shaped rooms called “Audencias” thought to be for administration, storerooms, wells of various sizes and significance, living quarters for the elite and finally (sometimes) a burial platform. All sections are connected by long corridors reaching through doors to what were presumably more and more restricted areas. The walls and some rooms are decorated with friezes of stylised patterns or creatures which vary as between Palaces. As an indication of size - Tschudi for instance contains 2 Plazas, 17 audencias, 242 storerooms and covers 10ha.

It really does help to understand the basic layout of both the individual palaces and of their relationship to each other and to have some idea of the possible functions of all of this (much of which is hypothetical!) before you visit, otherwise the trip through is just a maze of corridors and rooms – I tried but wish I had done more!! Tschudi of course has undergone the major reconstruction which has been so criticized but which also, no doubt makes the complex more comprehensible. I would suggest that a good guide is worth having – but ours, who came with our minibus tour, unfortunately didn’t have an easily comprehensible English accent and was rather formulaic in delivery. There are quite good bilingual signs and models within the complex which help. I also hadn’t fully appreciated before hand the relative lateness of the site – it commenced around 850 AD (although expansion and the main construction didn’t commence until around 1100) and the Chimu were conquered by the Incas as late as 1475, only some 60 years before they in turn were conquered by Pizarro.

It should be noted that, in 2006, the Peruvian authorities decided to start using words from the Mochica language to name the various Palaces. All the palaces were originally named after archaeologists or others who had some connection with Peruvian archaeology. For those who are interested I append to this review a list of the "palaces" together with the names of those they were named after and the new ones with their translated meanings. They were quite difficult to track down but each has a Wiki entry if you use their full details! Some sources state that there are only 9 palaces with Telle regarded as just an annex. And there are also debates about their sequence of building, use of the rooms, why some have funeral platforms and a few don't etc etc. All in all there are a lot of interesting issues to follow up both before and after a visit!

1. Tschudi/Nik An/House of the Center. Johan Jakob von Tschudi. (1818 - 89). Swiss naturalist, explorer and diplomat.

2. Rivero/Chol An/New House. Mariano Eduardo de Rivero y Ustariz (1798 – 1857). Peruvian scientist, geologist, mineralogist, chemist, archaeologist, politician and diplomat

3. Bandelier/Nain An/House of Sea Birds. Adolphe F Bandalier (1840 – 1914). American Archaeologist. Born Berne Switzerland.

4. Velarde/Ning An/House of the Sea. The most difficult but I think it refers to Hector Velarde Bergmann(1898 - 1989). A Peruvian architect who studied and taught the history of Peruvian Architecture

5. Squier/Fochic An/House of the North . Ephraim George Squier (1821 – 88). American Archaeologist and newspaper editor.

6. Tello – Tsuts An – Small house . Julio C Tello – (1880-1947). Peruvian. “Father of Peruvian Archaeology” First indigenous archaeologist in the Americas?

7. Uhle/Xllangchic An/House of the East. Friedrich Maximiliano Uhle Lorenz (1856-1944) – German, Archaeologist

8. Chayhuac/Chayhuac An/House of Chayhuac or Quixmic An/Old house . Antonio Chayhuac – A local Cacique, baptized in 1550 with the name of Don Anronio Chayhuac, is said to have been a descendent of the last Chimu ruler, Minchanzaman, who was captured by the Incas and taken to Cusco. His descendents were living in Lima in the middle of 18C/

9. Laberinto/Fechech An/House of the West

10. Gran Chimu/Utzh An/Grand House