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The
Royal Palace: Life and Death in the King's Palace
The most important
units of the Chimor Kingdom's capital were the royal palaces.
A great burial platform was located in the center of each palace.
Although these
tombs
have been plundered by conquistadors
and huaqueros, archaeologists have been able to determine that
they were the tombs of kings.
When the king was alive, the palace served as the seat of government
for the Chimor king and for the highest level of nobility. The
palace was the focus of political, administrative and religious
power in the Chimor kingdom, and served as a storehouse for tribute
paid to the empire. The nobility was divided between the palace
and the large buildings located around the palace where various
administrative functions were performed to control the tribute
and production of goods in the barrios. |
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The public area
of the palace held not only the ceremonial square that was converted
into the burial platform after the king's death, but it also held
the administrative offices of the people who dealt with running
the empire on a daily basis. Because these offices were always
close to storage areas for food and luxury goods, it is thought
that they had an administrative purpose for the receipt, checking
and redistribution of tribute by the empire.
Archaeologists have called these small U-shaped administrative
offices audiencias,or audience chambers, because the rooms
reminded them of a scene frequently found on ancient Chimu pots,
which depicts a richly dressed man seated in a small open-fronted
enclosure, seemingly conducting business or holding an audience.
The audience chambers were usually so small that they could comfortably
fit only one person. Anyone wishing to gain access to the storage
rooms would have had to pass in front of one or more audience
chamber.
Archaeologists have reason to believe that these chambers also
served as temples, which were for the exclusive use of the elite.
It is thought that religious and cult activities were performed
in the chambers since idols were found in them and sacred imagery
decorates their walls. |
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At the Chimor
king's death, the palace became a royal
mausoleum
where
the king's precious metals, ornate textiles, and
blackware
pottery were stored--wealth enough to rival that of an Egyptian
Pharoah.
The dead king was also surrounded by the bodies
of hundreds of
sacrificed
young women since, in ancient
America, important individuals were often buried among human sacrifice
to secure the favor of the gods in the afterlife. A hierarchical
group cared for the king's tomb and oversaw cult rights and ceremonies
that preserved the image of the former ruler as
divine.
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Photo
credits:
(top to bottom)
1. William Allard/NGS Image Collection
2,3. Roberto Arakaki/International Stock
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