essay
The burial platforms of Chan Chan: some social and political implications
chan chan: andean desert city • Albuquerque • Published In 2010 • Pages: 87-117
By: Conrad, Geoffrey W..
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This is an examination of the mortuary practices for Chimu kings. Ten compounds ([i]ciudadelas[/i]) within Chan Chan correspond with the ten kings listed in traditional histories. There are descriptions the burial platforms within the [i]ciudadelas[/i], what features they have, the number and type of cells, forecourts, additions, contents (as much as can be determined as they have been thoroughly looted), where they are located within the compounds, and their relative chronology. Additional evidence is given for patterns of use, ritual human sacrifice, and repeated ceremonies that were part of the cult of the dead king. The compounds are interpreted as the products of split inheritance: after a king's death the new king assumed his political power, while (other) heirs received his wealth, to be used in part for the continued, posthumous veneration of the ruler. The institution of split inheritance forced the new king to find wealth through taxation of the provinces or new conquests, making Chimu a military expansionist state.
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Special burial practices and funerals
- Chief executive
- Miscellaneous structures
- Mourning
- Miscellaneous facilities
- Inheritance
- Dating methods in archaeology
- Form and rules of government
- traditionCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Chimu
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2015
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- South America
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Central Andes
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- essay
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Archaeologist
- Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- Sarah Berry; 2014
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- not specified
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- 1100-524 BP (AD 900-1476)
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Chan Chan, Huanchaco, Trujillo province (Moche Valley), La Libertad, Peru
- NotesAdditional notes
- Geoffrey W. Conrad
- For bibliographical references see document 18:[Moseley and Day] (2010, References)
- Reprint of 1982 copy
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 80054567
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Chanchán (Peru)