North Coast - Peru - page 683

place. For the Chimú, both the moon and the sea were of religious importance (unlike the
Incas, who worshipped the sun and venerated the earth).
Further on, the Second Ceremonial Courtyard also has a ramp to the 2nd level. From
behind this plaza, you can see a huge rectangular depression that was once a walk-in well
supplying the daily water needs of the royal compound.
To the left is an area of several dozen small, crumbling cells that has been called the
Military Sector . Perhaps soldiers lived here, or the cells may have been used for storage.
Next is the Mausoleum , where a king was buried along with human sacrifices and cere-
monial objects. To the left of the main tomb, a pyramid containing the bodies of dozens of
young women was found.
The final area is the Assembly Room . This large rectangular room has 24 seats set into
niches in the walls, and its amazing acoustic properties are such that speakers sitting in
any one of the niches can be clearly heard all over the room.

Museo de Sitio Chan Chan
The site museum contains exhibits explaining Chan Chan and the Chimú culture. It is on
the main road, about 500m before the Chan Chan turnoff. The museum has a few signs in
Spanish and English but a guide is still useful. A sound-and-light show plays in Spanish
every 30 minutes. The aerial photos and maps showing the huge extension of Chan Chan
are fascinating, as tourists can only visit a tiny portion of the site.

Complejo Arqueológico

RUIN

Huaca Esmeralda
(admission free with Chan Chan ticket) Halfway between Trujillo and Chan Chan, this
Chimú temple is to the south of the main road, four blocks behind the Mansiche Church.
Thieves reportedly prey on unwary tourists wandering around, so go with a large group or
a guide and keep your eyes open.
Huaca Esmeralda was buried by sand and was accidentally discovered by a local
landowner in 1923. He attempted to uncover the ruins, but El Niño of 1925 began the pro-
cess of erosion, which was exacerbated by the floods and rains of 1983. Although little
restoration work has been done on the adobe friezes, it is still possible to make out the
characteristic Chimú designs of fish, seabirds, waves and fishing nets.
Green-signed B combis to Huaca Esmeralda leave Trujillo every few minutes; they pass
the corners of España and Ejército, and España and Industrial.