📋 Tender Overview
The Ministry of Culture, through the Chan Chan Archaeological Complex Special Project, restarted the physical execution of the Gran Chimú investment project, located in the Chan Chan archaeological complex. The works are aimed at restructuring 620 meters of the eastern perimeter wall. The investment is 2,593,211 soles.
The walled complex Uthz An (formerly Gran Chimú) of 22.06 hectares, is the largest of the Chan Chan archaeological complex and one of the closest to the asphalt road that connects Trujillo with Huanchaco and vice versa, which makes it the most visible element by passers-by on this road and those who visit Nik An – former Tschudi palace.
The intervention of the eastern perimeter began on April 1 and will culminate on November 26, initially generating the participation of 76 direct temporary jobs, reaching a total of 110 workers in the month of June.
"This intervention will make it possible to define the function, use of construction techniques, define architecture associated with the walls and recover movable cultural material from this walled complex, which contribute to the research and historical knowledge of our ancestors," said David Calderón De Los Ríos, director of the Chan Chan Special Project
Finds
Chan Chan specialists do not rule out that, during the interventions aimed at restructuring the perimeter walls that are more than 750 years old, new discoveries will be recorded.
In addition to the physical restoration of archaeological structures, the work of the multidisciplinary team of professionals aims at cultural dissemination. That is to say, the social conservation of the property with exceptional characteristics that earned it its recognition as Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Archaeological Revelations
In the previous interventions, the Gran Chimú walled complex unveiled reliefs and wooden sculptures. In 2018, during the work carried out on the north wall, 19 impressive wooden sculptures and an entrance corridor to a 33 m2 ceremonial courtyard, completely decorated with clay reliefs, were found. Important discoveries were also recorded on the south wall.
During 2021, the discovery of a multiple funerary context was recorded on the south wall, in which human skeletal remains corresponding to 25 individuals, mostly women, young people and some children, have been documented.
On the other hand, during 2022, the intervention of the northern perimeter wall of the complex was completed.
Since 2017, the Ministry of Culture has intervened in this important walled complex. To date, the northern, southern and western perimeter sides have been advanced. The total implementation of the investment project is scheduled until 2025. On this date, 23,000 square meters of walls of the largest walled complex of the headquarters of the kingdom of Chimor will have been restored.
Master
PlanThe most iconic pre-Hispanic city in Trujillo and in all of northern Peru, it has been researched, conserved and preserved by the Peruvian State since 2006. The route followed by archaeologists, conservators, engineers, architects, lawyers, artists, historians and the entire multidisciplinary team of the Ministry of Culture is the Master Plan.
In this management document, it is established that one of the priorities is to restructure the old walls that surround its walled complexes, formerly known as palaces.
Universal
ValueDue to its exceptional values, the archaeological site of Chan Chan was included in the year 1986 in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. At present, the capital of the Chimor kingdom has an area of 14.14 square kilometers.
