article

Urban settlement systems and rural sustaining communities: an example from Chan Chan's hinterland

Journal of field archaeology2 (3) • Published In 1975 • Pages: 215-227

By: Keatinge, Richard W..

Abstract
The author excavated at the site of Cerro la Virgen, a rural village of agglutinated rooms in the Moche Valley near the Chimu city of Chan Chan. The site is bisected by the coastal highway, and there are agricultural fields, a canal, and a cemetery nearby. Excavations took place on the road, and within some of the rooms, the looted cemetery, and a midden. Findings indicate a diet based on agricultural products, along with fish, shellfish, llama, and guinea pig. Numerous wood, stone, and bone tools were found in the rooms along with numerous storage pits and sunken jars. Several lines of evidence suggest this rural village was responsible for farming the nearby fields. The village is nucleated and the fields are formally laid out, suggesting they were part of a state-controlled agricultural enterprise.
Subjects
Settlement patterns
Urban and rural life
Archaeological excavation methods
Highways and bridges
Diet
Production and supply
State enterprise
Government enterprises
Community structure
General tools
Tillage
tradition
Chimu
HRAF PubDate
2015
Region
South America
Sub Region
Central Andes
Document Type
article
Evaluation
Creator Type
Archaeologist
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Sarah Berry; 2014
Field Date
1969, 1971
Coverage Date
1000-524 BP (AD 1000-1476)
Coverage Place
Cerro la Virgen, Huanchaco, Trujillo province (Moche Valley), La Libertad, Peru
Notes
Richard W. Keatinge
Includes bibliographical references
LCCN
75641025
LCSH
Chimu