The Wari, Sican and Chimu
Terms
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- Where were the Wari located? When did they peak?
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Near modern Peruvian city Ayacucho.
Peaked A.D. 600. Overlapped Tiwanaku. - How did the city look?
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An enormous enclosure with walled neighbourhoods. Some walls 12m high and several meters thick, extended for 100's m.
Much of city multi storied. - What was unique about the Wari?
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Wari not located on the shores of a lake.
Not practised raised-field agriculture. Had terraced fields similar to Teotihuacan. - What was Wari agricultural system like?
- Extensive system, incl. canals bringing water from the uplands=distribute it across complex network of branching secondary canals that led to terraced fields
- What evidence do we have of Wari elite power and religious belief?
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Religious iconography represented in textiles and pottery across broad area of S/America.
Indication of power and influence of Wari elite who were I.D. with these gods. - How did the elite acquire their labour and how did they control their regional areas?
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Funnelled surplus labour and wealth into capital by construction of regional admin centres across territory.
Seen in Azangaro 15km n/w of Wari enclosure. A minature of Wari.
Continuation of Wari religious icon. and pottery
Elite who staffed regional centers ensured local population participate in Wari state by sending food surplus and labour. - Who were the Moche replace by?
- replaced by Sican after Moche decline in A.D. 700 in N. Peru.
- What was the capital of Sican?
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Batan Grande
Monumental pyramids and cemetry for the elite? - What evidence is there of Sican religious belief?
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Iconography seen on textiles, ceramics and finally crafted solid gold and gilded objects.
The Sican Lord; presumably most imp. god. Ruled over pantheon of other spirit beings. - Did the Sican have an elite class?
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Enormous irrigation works=produced surplus=
elite class of artisans who produced ceramics, cloth and gold artworks.
Commoners built monuments and military. - What was unique about the Chimu and what was their capital?
- Largest empire ever seen in the New World. Occupied entire Northern Coast of Peru.
- When did the civilisation begin?
- A.D. 900 and expanded A.D. 1200
- What did the capital Chan Chan look like?
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True city with neighbourhoods, divided according to occupations.
Sophisticated and monumental complex of irrigation canals produced rich harvests. - Why did the Chimu grow so large?
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Michael Mosely; irrigation built up salt and reduced harvest=necessitates incorp. of new lands into sytem.
Geologically active area=earthquakes seriously damaged and destroyed irrigation works.
Mosely suggests easier to annex new lands after earthquakes= dual purpose of new lands and more workers.