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Threats
to the Survival of Chan Chan
The Chimu Empire
thrived for over six centuries, until about 1470, when, after
a long war, the Incas conquered it. The last Chimu ruler, Minchancaman,kept
symbolic
power over the empire but was relocated to Cuzco,
the Incan capital, along with many of the artisans.
The people of Chimu increasingly resented the Incan occupation
and eventually rebelled. As a result of the uprising, many more
Chimu people were removed from their homeland and taken to Cuzco.
As punishment, the population was also moved to other mountain
and coastal areas.
Some sixty years later, the Spanish founded a new capital five
kilometers from Chan Chan. This new Spanish capital was given
the name of Pizarro's hometown, Trujillo. Soon afterward,
the Chimu abandoned Chan Chan, leading to the virtual disappearance
of their great civilization. |
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Faced with the
fragile nature of these adobe ruins and their destructive desert
environment, archaeologists have had to be increasingly cautious
in excavating the ancient city. In an effort to meet these challenges,
since the site's inclusion on the World Heritage List in Danger
in 1986, excavation works have been carried out only when accompanied
by appropriate conservation measures and only after all possible
steps have been taken to control plundering of the site.
Through the appropriate measures for the protection of the site,
Chan Chan will be able to keep its title as the largest adobe
city in the world and will remain a powerful symbol of the achievements
of the great Chimu civilization.
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Photo
credits:
(top to bottom)
1. William Allard/NGS Image Collection
2. Roberto Arakaki/International Stock
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