THE SITE MUSEUM OF

TUCUME

PROYECTO ESPECIAL NAYLAMP - LAMBAYEQUE - PERÚ

Visitors Guide

The Site Museum of Túcume: Visitors Guide

Text:Alfredo Narvaez Vargas

Photography:Alfredo Narvaez VargasBernarda Delgado Elias

Traslation by:Carlos y Karen Fida (First edition)Danielle Howard (Augmented sections of the second edition)

DesignSugehily Valdivieso Turkowsky

Edition Rights:Patronato del Valle Las Piramides de Lambayeque

Second edition, corrected and augmented Túcume, December 2007Quantity, 2000 pamphlets (Spanish - English)Authorized by the National Library of PeruISBN: 978-603-45148-0-5

Patronato del Valle Las Piramides de LambayequeMuseo de Sitio TúcumeCampifia San Antonio, 1 km al este del Pueblo de TúcumeTel.: (51) 074-612254E-mail: museotucume@hotmai|.com www.museodesitiotucume.com

President of the Patronato del Valle Las Pirémides de Lambayeque: Giorgio Battistini FoschiDirector of the Site Museum of Túcume: Bernarda Delgado Elias

THE PUBLICATION WAS MADE POSSIBLETHANKS TO THE CONVENIO ANDRÉS BELLO

PROYECTO ESPECIAL NAYLAMP LAMBAYEQUE

THE SITE MUSEUM OF

TUCUME

C ONV EN I OA N D R É SB E L L O

IntroductionThe Site Museum is a result of the scientific research works carried out by the Túcume Archeological Project from 1989 to 1994 through an Agreement between the Kon Tiki Museum in Oslo, Norway, and the Peruvian National Institute of Culture. This agreement came about thanks to Thor Heyerdahl, a Norwegian who has dedicated many years of his life to studying the cultures of Peru and famous for his transoceanic expeditions throughout the world and especially with the Kon Tiki, his raft which sailed from the Port of Callao toward Polynesia in 1946.

The archeological project, under the direction of Alfredo Narvaez and Daniel Sandweiss, along with the leadership of Thor Heyerdahl, succeeded in obtaining interest by the Fondo de Promocion Turistica (FOPTUR) in building a Site Museum that contains the Archeological Project findings.

The Museum construction was finalized in 1991, following a design suggested by the Túcume Archeological Project to Architect Jorge Cosmopolis Bullon, a native of Chiclayo and sensitive of traditional architecture. The construction is similar to the early colonial chapels which were built by native laborers, following a Prehispanic style. Well known as the ”ramadas”, these structures were built with native materials, such as cane, clay, adobe and wooden columns made of carob trees. Currently, natural lighting is used at the exhibition, and a windmill produces the water supply of the facilities.

The Museum was awarded the „Hexagono de Plata” award by the Association of Architects of Peru in 1994, as well as an honorable mention during the Biennial of Architecture in Quito in 1995. On August 20, 1993, the exhibition was opened, and each year it celebrates its anniversary with a party and folklore show.

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N

A CHICLAYO (33KM)

A ILLIMO

TÚCUME PANAMERICANANORTE

Huaca del ChiscoHuaca del

PuebloSectorTEPO

HuacaCatalino

SectorNANCOLÁN

HuacaLarga

SectorSan Antonio

CPM. La Raya

Huaca las Balsas

MUSEO DESITIO

TÚCUME

CaseríoTúcumeVejo

CERROPURGATORIO

HuacaPintada

COMPLEJO ARQUEOLÓGICO TÚCUME221.5 Ha.

Área arqueologicaintangible

Via de acceso actuala) Museo

Ruta de visita actuala) Directo a las pirámidesb) Por el bosque seco

Miradores turísticos

Centro poblado

Circuito en trabajoa) Huaca Larga

b) Huaca Las Balsas

c) Huaca I. 5

Site Museum Work

The museum has a collection based on the materials from the excavations carried out by the Túcume Archeological Project in the Pyramids of Túcume. Therefore, it works to protect, preserve and conserve this legacy. Likewise, the museum has also developed a plan to protect and preserve the general archeology and cultural patrimony of the district of Túcume. One of the most important lines of additional interest is that of the oral rural traditions.With this strategy, the museum promotes and develops various activities in an attempt to involve the local people in conservation tasks and tourist development. Therefore, it provides educational activities through workshops directed to artisans, transportation providers, local guides, restaurants, educational centers and different organizations. It promotes the creation of small local businesses through small business loans.

In this effort it has had the support of The European Union and Promperu, the British Embassy, local companies, local, regional and national development organizations and foreign cultural institutions. To provide continuity, the Museum has promoted the creation of an organization called the Association for the Conservation of the Patrimony and the Tourist Development of Túcume (from its acronym in Spanish ACODET).

This institution is composed of the Municipality of Túcume, the Site Museum, the Government, the Tourism Club and local teachers. ACODET promotes a combined effort and is open to the participation of all people who share its objectives and goals in four areas: a) Research and Conservation, b) Education, c) Promotion, and d) Regulation of Tourist Services.

The museum believes that the conservation of the archaeological and cultural patrimony in general is not only the task of experts, but of everyone. This should be a permanent, long-term effort with a solid educational basis.

Finally, the conservation efforts should provide tangible benefits to the local communities, and the museum should be integrated in the programs of community development.

Main Hall

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6

Lambayeque Culture

The northern coast of Peru is an arid territory bordered on the east by the first spurs of the western mountain range of the Andes. The coastal deserts are formed by dry rivers, which become active during the summer months during the rainy season of the highlands. Towards the west, the rich and varied sea, has always been one of the most important resources, as well as a source of myths and religious traditions.

The Lambayeque culture developed on the north coast of Peru between the valleys of Chicama and Piura. The area of Lambayeque was its most important center. The beginnings of its development occurred around 700 years A.D. following the collapse of the Moche culture (100 B.C. to 700 A.D.) During those years, cultures such as the Wari from Ayacucho, which expanded its dominion from Pachacamac in Lima to the north, as well as the regional cultures of Cajamarca and Moche, influenced the development of a new northern tradition that is now known as Lambayeque.

The Lambayeque culture continued its development until the successive arrivals of the Chimú conquerors in 1375, the Incas in 1470 and finally the Spaniards from 1532 on. During its 700 years of development, the Lambayeque culture had an initial period that endured until 1100 A.D. when there were devastating torrential rains. Batán Grande, the most important center in this period, was abandoned and set on fire. The second period of local development continued until the Chimú conquest, followed by the Inca conquest, and finally the Spanish conquest. Túcume began its development around the year 1000, and it became, with the abandonment of Batán Grande, the most important elite urban center of the region. For that reason, it is considered the last great capital of the Lambayeque Kingdom.

This development produced large urban centers, characterized by large pyramid shaped buildings, such as Chotuna, Batán Grande and Túcume, where an elite group managed a complex administrative system of the vast natural resources

*Classic vase of the Lambayeque culture. It represents the bird deitywith facial decorations, winged eyes and ears; crown and breastplate.

It is generally accompanied by animals, temples or men. Thesevessels, mainly black, are found from the first years of the

Lambayeque culture until the colonial period. Some researchersbelieve that it represents Naymlap or ÑAM LA (sea bird), who was

the most important deity of this culture.

(especially of land and water) as well as the human resources inside its area of influence. The economy focused on agriculture, based on the largest irrigation system of the whole Peruvian coast. This extensive agriculture had a severe impact on the ecology, since the forests of carob trees were replaced by large extensions of cultivated lands.

Sailing and fishing were essential for a population linked to the sea from its mythical origins. These experienced seamen established maritime contacts and commercial relationships in distant areas such as Ecuador, Colombia and probably Central America. Likewise, the northern regional contacts included the highlands, as well as the mountain and lowland rainforest.

One of the best known industries was the metalwork done with gold, silver, copper and precious stones. The ”tumis”, or ceremonial scepters, funeral masks, vases and jewelry in general stand out as the most important, and often depict the effigy of the bird god and its sea environment. They were experts in working with metal and ceramics, great traders and weavers, inheriting many forms and technologies from their Moche ancestors. Finally, they were a very religious and mystic population, unlike the military and warring neighbors, the Chimu warriors who had Chan Chan as their power center.

The most common symbol of the work of these people contains two lateral points in a rectangular motif, which is used in the most important ornaments of this culture. It appears in the face of the personage with ears feathered on the tip, in the main personage‘s headdresses and in the finishing piece of the roofs of the temples. Both represent the symbol of the wings and tail of a bird diving, a feature of the Lambayeque tradition.

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Drawings: Bernada Delgado 98

Pyramids of Túcume

The pyramids of Túcume are located in the lower part of the valley of La Leche River in the current province of Lambayeque. This is a plain, crossed by irrigation canals and wide cultivated lands. The traditional rural population continues to preserve several aspects of their prehispanic ancestors. Archaeologically, it is the most extensive site in the area and is considered the last great capital of the Lambayeque kingdom from the end of the tenth century until the arrival of the Spaniards in 1532.

Foundation of Túcume

The first time Túcume is mentioned in the historical archives, is through the famous legend of Naymlap or Nam LA (translated as Bird of Water, or sea bird), registered by the chronicler Cabello de Balboa in 1568 and 200 years later, by the Priest Modesto Rubiños y Andrade. In spite of the difference in time between these two versions, the essential aspects of the story stay the same.

Ñam is a personality who arrives at the coasts of Lambayeque with his court, wife and concubines. He builds a temple called Chot in which he places Nam Pallec, the God he brought with him (meaning the portrait of Ñam LA). His first-born son was named Cium, who married Zolsdoñi with whom he had several children. When Nam La dies, he is buried in his home. However, legend says that he sprouted wings and flew off to heaven, thus becoming immortal. His descendants

throughout the years disperse and populate other bordering valleys, until the arrival of the Chimu conquerors, and later the Incas.

The legend gives the names of Naylamp‘s heirs, the rulers during the Chimu conquest and finally the names of the dynasties during the Inca period, prior to the Spanish conquest. One of Ñam LA‘s descendants was Cala, who founded Túcume.

The archaeological research carried out in the pyramids of Túcume generally indicate three great periods: Lambayeque (from the end of the tenth century to 1375), Chimu (between 1375 and 1470) and finally the Inca period (between 1470 and 1532). When the Spanish chronicler, Pedro Cieza de Leon, traveled between Jayanca and Túcume in 1547, he indicated that the prehispanic urban center was already destroyed and abandoned.

The archaeological site has two very defined sectors: the north sector characterized by the monumentalarchitecture of large dimensions, and the south sector, with simpler buildings, common cemeteries, residential areas and areas of ceramic and metallurgical production. The pyramids were built with large adobe (sun-dried clay bricks) walls and filling systems with loose materials, to reach greater height. The adobes mud bricks were rectangular with the manufacturer‘s mark on their surface, which was an ancient way of controlling the peasants‘ tribute. The pyramid construction constantly grew and new constructive stages took place as new heirs assumed power. In some cases, up to seven construction phases have been discovered, one on top of the other. The plaster and finish of the main buildings were quite fine, with a dark greenish color of clay found in the subsoil around the entire area. The most important sectors were generally decorated with reliefs in clay and colors, and traces of yellow paint can still be found Scenes depicting characters and motifs related to the sea are also characteristic.

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Foto: Huaca Larga

Art: H. Rojas

1110

The outsides of the pyramids were decorated by a series of horizontal and consecutive overhangs in parallel lines around the entire pyramid, a symbolism expressing the winged concept of the building, thus symbolizing the mythical ancestor: a sea bird. The access to the pyramids was through extensive ramps, some of which can reach more than 150 meters in length, giving us an idea of the complicated and ostentatious entrance. Thus, it is possible that the ramp size indicates functions and hierarchies different from the pyramids. These ramps radiate around the central sacred mountain, the buildings and their access ramps are placed distinctly toward the west, the north and the east.

Evidences of the residential use of the pyramids have been found. It is common to find storage spaces, areas dedicated to cooking, domestic waste accumulation and sometimes, such as in Huaca Las Balsas, a kitchen with a wide fireplace, abundant wastes of food on the floor, and next to it a corral for llamas. Some ceremonial areas, with neat floors, are also found inside these residential areas.

The La Raya hill or Cerro Purgatorio was apparently a sacred, forbidden area. Remains of a high wall that surrounded and protected it, are still standing. However, we have not located any building from the Lambayeque period, all are from the Inca period, predominantly built with stone from the mountain.Large terraces at the north, east and west, give the mountain the form of a great staggered pyramid. At the same time, in the most salient sections in the hill on the north and on top of it, ceremonial buildings were built with steps and wide platforms, all from the Inca period.

The Legend of Naymlap

One of the most important stories in pre-Columbian Peru is without doubt that of Naymlap or ÑAM LA, a personage who, coming from the sea in a great fleet of rafts, arrives at the coast of Lambayeque. Settling a short distance from the beach, he is the first in a very long lineage and contributes in a very decisive way to the cultural development of this part of the Peruvian north coast. After much discussion, the specialists are not able to come to an agreement on his place of origin. Although the story says that he came from the „supreme“ region, which was understood as the north and consequently would indicate that he came from Ecuadorian territories or others more distant, it also says that in colonial times the „supreme region“ made reference to territories toward the south. Therefore, ÑAM LA would have come from some valley south of Lambayeque. At any rate, what is evident is that after the Moche period collapsed, around the years 600 to 700 A.D., there was a period of time in crisis, which caused very important changes. The myths indicate the supremacy of the god Pachacamac over the ancestral god Kon of the Moche, and the custom of burying the dead changed notably: the old reclining position, with the head facing north, was replaced by the new fetal, sitting burial position.

In 1568 the Spanish chronicler Miguel Cabello Balboa recorded the NAYMLAP story, one of the most important of Peru, in the town of Túcume by means of an authority named Martín Farro Chumbi.Two hundred years later Modesto Rubiños y Andrade, a priest of Pacora, a small town north of Túcume, recorded this same story without significant variations. However, the name of the personage that he tells of has two voices in the Moche language: ÑAM (bird) and LA (water). Ñam La or Naymlap refers then to a sea bird. In this way the sea acquires an ancestral meaning of great importance. Therefore, in general the majority of the symbolism of this culture is depicted by the sea, waves, fish, sea birds, boats, Spondylus shells, etc.

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Art: H. Rojas

Art: H. Rojas

1312

„Natives from Lambayeque say (and this is confirmed by natives of other towns bordering this valley) that in ancient times, which they are unable to number, a father of legions came from the supreme part of this Pirú with a great fleet of rafts. He was a man of great courage and caliber named Naymlap, and he brought with him many concubines, and his wife, who was called CETERNI, as well as many followers, he being their leader and chief, and the forty most courageous among them were his officers.”

Their personal servants were:

XAM-MUCHEC: in charge of anointing and coloring the faceOLLOPCOPOC: in charge of the bathPITASOFI: his trumpeterÑINACOLA: who took care of his sedan chairsFONGASIGDE: that at the Lord’s passing spread out powders of shellsLLAPCHILULI: the tailor who sewed his feather clothingNINA GINTUE: in charge of the drinkOCCHOCALO: his cook

Upon arriving at the coast at the mouth of the Faquisllanga River, in the valley he built a palace for his wife and a temple which he called Chot where he placed Flampayec, the idol he had brought with him. Ñampayec means „portrait of Ñam La” from which the current word „Lambayeque“ is derived, thus naming this region and the post Moche culture that was developed here. „After having lived many years... the time of his death came, and because his followers did not understand that death had taken him, his officers buried him secretly and then spread the news that he had sprouted wings. . . and had disappeared . . .“

After NAYMLAP died, his first-born son CIUM married ZOLSOLONI and had twelve male children. During ClUM‘s life, (NAYLAMP‘s heir and second Lord of these valleys) his children left to begin their own families and populations; one son named NOR left to the valley of Cinto and a son named Cala went to Tucume, another to Collique and others to other parts LLAPCHILLULI went to Jayanca. Having lived many years, CIUM entered in an underground chamber, and there he died. Following his death, ten

kings governed the people, the last of these kings being FEMPELLEC . . .the last ruler of the dynasty. History states that Fempellec sinned by trying to remove the idol LLAMPALLEC from the spot where Ñam LA had placed it. In addition, the devil appeared to him as a beautiful woman and seduced him. After giving in to such wicked temptation, a time of great calamities followed. The chronicler says „... and because of this fateful sin it started to rain (which had never before happened in these plains) and the flood lasted thirty days, which began a year of drought and famine. . .“

The priests blamed his Lord for this sacrilege, which made him responsible for the sufferings of his people. Finding him guilty, the priests mobilized the people and demanded punishment to appease their idol‘s anger. Taking him prisoner, they tied his feet and hands and threw him to the depths of the sea, leaving the region without a king and Lord. Time passed until the tyrant, almighty Lord CHIMO CAPAC took possession of the valley, entrusting PONGMASA with governing it. He was followed by PALLESMASA and then OXA, by which time the Incas had arrived in Cajamarca.

After the conquest of INCA TU PAC YUPANQUI, six rulers followed, whose names were: LLUMPISAN, CHULLMPISAN, CIPRQMANCA, FALLEMPISAN, EFQUEMPISAN and SECFUMPISAN.

This tumultuous time culminated with the arrival of the Spaniards. In May, 1532, PIZARRO and his armies began their conquest from Tumbes. During his march he receives news of ATAHUALP/\‘s successes in the war against his brother HUASCAR. CAJUSOLI welcomes Pizarro with open arms near Jayanca, and he continues his march to Cajamarca. After Pizzaro‘s victory and the death of ATAHUALPA, the conquest and colonization of Peru is complete. With the new order being imposed, the large cities under Inca control were abandoned.

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1514

Contemporary Events of thePyramids of Tucume

Tucume‘s growth was contemporary with a number of important events in the history of the world. Tucume was the main center of the Lambayeque Kingdom, being founded by CALA, the grandson of NAYMLAP. By 1375, it is conquered by the Chimu, and in 1470 by the Incas. Tucume was the largest religious political center of its time in Lambayeque, and it is located in one of the most extensive and rich valleys of the Peruvian coast.

Between the end of the ninth century and the sixteenth century, some of the most important events were the following:

The Vikings leaving Norway had settled in Iceland and Greenland, causing fear in Europe. In 885 they laid siege to Paris and in 941 attacked Bizance for the second time. By the year 1000 they arrived in Canada, calling it Vinland. They didn‘t settle there, but they most likely made contact with the Indians.

The Arab expansion in the Mediterranean blocked the commercial centers that had flourished in Italy since the beginning of the twelfth century. The clergy joined in the battle to resist the Arab expansion, feeling that it was necessary to expel the Muslims from the holy lands around Jerusalem. The religious fervor and a certain knightly sense of adventure inspired the crusaders. These crusaders also learned about the construction of castles while doing battle against them. This was the era of El Cid, King Arthur, and the Knights of the Round Table.

In Asia Temudjin, a man by the name of Gengis Khan led the Mongolian Empire in 1206. In a number of great conquests in 1211, he crossed the Great Wall of China, conquering BEIJING in 1215. He died in 1227.

In the present-day territory of New Mexico in the United States, Pueblo Bonito (900 - I100 A.D.) belonging to the Anasasi culture, was one of the largest areas of this region. It had a population of 1,200 inhabitants.

Chan Chan, was the largest city in South America. Between 1200 and 1500, it begins its expansion that culminated in the most important coastal kingdom. The Chimu stretched from the South of Ecuador to the North of Lima.

Marco Polo crossed Asia and arrived in Beijing in 1275. In 1295, after 24 years, he returned to Venice. He wrote the „Book of Wonders“ that was considered fiction and was not taken seriously until the fifteenth century.

The Renaissance begins in Italy, the country that produced culture and magnificent geniuses oft he arts and literature. This soon spread over all Europe. Scientists, philosophers, discoverers and politicians changed their vision of the world and their medieval idea of science and art. Dante writes „The Divine Comedy“ in 1307; Bocaccio writes „The Decameron“ in 1348; between 1503 and 1506 Leonardo da Vinci painted „The Gioconda“; Michelangelo painted The Sistine Chapel between 1508 and 1512. This was the epic of consolidation and rebirth. The war against the Moors had ended in Europe.

With Huayna Capac, between 1480 and 1490 the largest empire in America was consolidated. Cusco (the center of the world) reached its maximum splendor. Huayna Capac died ten years before the Hispanic presence on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, and the civil war soon began between the Inca heirs, Huascar and Atahualpa.

The city of Tenochtitlan that had been annexed in 1473 to the neighboring Tlanteloc, at the beginning of the sixteenth century formed an irregular quadrilateral of a thousand hectares in whose center was the sacred enclosure and its temples. The traditional history went back to its foundation in 1325. The Aztecs arrived at the end of a long migration begun in 1168 and erected on a rocky island the first temple, a simple reed cabin, to their God Huitzilopochtli. In less than two centuries, the city would become an authentic Venice, built on islands, banks of sand and stakes and joined to firm ground by three

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1716

dikes. Most of the „streets“ were simple canals, and people could move around the whole city by canoe. Except for public buildings, the houses were all one floor. Tenochtitlan‘s population by I520 was calculated at six hundred thousand people. Today, on the old dried up lake, there is a city of 15 million inhabitants.

In 1484 Juan II from Portugal called together a commission of astronomers, navigators and cartographers. Columbus, an eloquent and audacious Genoese in opposition of the idea that the earth was flat, proposed the alternative of reaching Japan and India like thePortuguese, who circled Africa, or Marco Polo, but by heading west toward an unknown sea. The commission did not approve his project, but regarded him as crazy and fanatic. The Catholic Kings, Fernando and Isabel, deeply moved by his eloquence and conviction, sponsored his plan, and in 1492 he left the Puerto de Palos with three vessels. In addition to his tenacity and audacity, his success was due to the brothers Pinzón and Juan de las Casas. On October 12, 1492, he discovered the Americas, establishing one of the most important landmarks in world history.

Manuel I, King of Portugal decides to open the India route in search of gold, and later Vasco da Gama organizes the expedition in 1497. He explores the coasts of Africa, arrives at the Arab world and then to Calcutta, India in 1499. He returns victorious to Lisbon. By 1513, after Balboa‘s discovery of the Pacific Ocean, the expectations for Pizarro‘s exploratory trips grow, culminating in the conquest of Peru, with Atahualpa‘s capture and death in 1533.

Researchers

The scientific interest in Cerro Purgatorio‘s ruins or The Pyramids of Túcume has been recent, with the first investigations beginningwith Alfred Kroeber, Professor of Anthropology of the University of California and a researcher in American Archaeology of the Natural History Museum of Chicago. He carried out two expeditions to the Peruvian coast (1925 - 1926) from Lima to Nazca and from the Valley of Virú to La Leche. He was the first professional archaeologist to visit Túcume. He hand sketched a map of the archaeological complex and obtained a collection of provincial Chimu style vessels from the site, believing that they corresponded to the northern Chimu culture in its final pre-Inca period.

Later, Wendell Bennett, an archaeologist from the American Museum of Natural History of New York, arrived. He was the first researcher to carry out scientific excavations in five units on the east side of the Cerro Purgatorio. He found burial sites from the Chimu and Inca period, containing chisel-formed copper objects, hammered ornaments and simple cotton clothing. His research was published in 1939 in the United States.

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1918

Herman Trimborn, an outstanding German researcher dedicated to the study of the Peruvian cultures, visited Lambayeque between 1967 and 1975. Although he didn‘t excavate in the pyramids of Túcume, he was the first to obtain radiocarbon dating of wooden samples of carob trees protruding from some of the constructions. Their dates ranged from 1010 A.D. to 1290 A.D. The Huaca del Pueblo, located near the present town of Túcume, also attracted his attention, and it was dated, using the same procedure, to be from the year 1250 A.D. He theorized about the link between Lambayeque and the legend of NAYMLAP, and deduced that Túcume was founded during the time of the first dynasty.

Richard Schadel is a well-known North American archaeologist interested in the most important ceremonial centers made of adobe mud brick along the northern coast of Peru. He defined Túcume as an „urban center of the elite“ developed between the Mochica period and the late urban complexes. Although he didn‘t carry out excavations, he felt that a royal class of several families had lived there, together with sen/ants and specialized artisans. In 1951 he published the first detailed map of Túcume, based on an aerial view. Along with Paul Kosok, he rated Túcume and Batan Grande as having the greatest hydraulic systems and being the cradles of political and religious power in the region.

ARCHEOLOGICALCOMPLEXTÚCUME

1. Huacabarga2. Templo de la Piedra Sagrada3. Huaca Estacas4. Huaca I5. Sector Vivieada6. Huaca Lu Balsa7. Huaca Facho 8. Cementerio Sur

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The Túcume Project

THOR HEYERDAHL: Biologist, ethnologist and Norwegian explorer who became world famous with the Kon Tiki expedition in 1946, departing from the port of Callao in Peru in a craft made of reeds guided by a rudder, the wind and the ocean currents, to the islands of Polynesia. Thus, he demonstrated that ancient Peruvians were capable of making high sea crossings, contrary to the beliefs at that time. In 1989 Heyerdahl organized the Archaeological Project of Túcume as a Peruvian project, financed by the Kon Tiki Museum of Oslo, Norway, in conjunction with the National Institute of Culture of Peru. Because of his interest in Peru, we are now able to verify the great culture of the civilization of Lambayeque and the contacts that integrated it to the world of the time by earth and sea. Thanks to his humanist vision, Thor Heyerdahl

also organized a project with the local community called „Túcume Alive“ that is still operating as a development program.

The Túcume project, directed by archaeologists Alfredo Narvaez (Peruvian) and Daniel Sandweiss (North American), between the years 1989 and 1994, has carried out the study of different sectors of the archaeological complex: pyramids, temples, common housing, cemeteries, handicraft shops, etc., in order to understand the history, way of life, customs, technology and religion of the ancient people of Túcume. Thanks to these studies, today we know that in chronological terms, Túcume‘s settlement began toward the beginning of the tenth century, during the classic period of the Lambayeque culture, thus becoming the most important urban center in the region. By the year 1 100, another of the most important centers in the Lambayeque culture, well-known as Batan Grande and more recently as Sican, was abandoned because of a serious crisis caused by one of the largest phenomenon of the first millennium after Christ, El Niño. The emergence of Túcume, in a safer place that was less

vulnerable to the heavy rains and built around a sacred mountain, beganwhen Batan Grande declined because of the abandonment of the templesand palaces. Therefore, the Chimu and Inca conquerors chose Túcume asthe center of their administrative political power.

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The ArcheologicalExcavations

Patterns of Burial in Túcume

One of the most important subjects regarding the past is the manner of burials. The studies carried out in Túcumes indicate that they can be defined by three different periods of populations: Lambayeque, Chimu and Inca, between the tenth century and the sixteenth century. During this period of time, the Moche custom, that of burying their dead in a reclining position with the head pointing to the south, strongly prevailed. This custom was generally maintained by the population of Túcume, even through the Chimu and Inca period. However, it is important to point out that during this later period, it also became popular to bury the dead in a sitting, fetal position.

Late Lambayeque burial siteassociated with „Huaco Rey“

and tri-colored pottery,belonging to the SouthCemetery of Túcume.

Inca period burial (1470 A.D. - 1532 A.D.) in sitting position, with the legs flexed and crossed, facing north. He has a shell of Spondylus on the abdomen and Chimu and Inca style vessels

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Burial from the Chimu period inside a grave with posts of carob tree. The personage was buried, along with a young boy next to his feet, a llama, pottery, fine ceramics and pots. Spondylus shells were found on the abdomen. The neck was adorned with a necklace made of chaquiras embroidery beads and a copper medallion. There was a small gold nose ring and a long wooden instrument which had a blunt copper tip. In spite of the time period, it still reflects the old traditional Moche burial.

Huaca I

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Excavations in Huaca I

Huaca I is one of the main constructions of the archaeological site that represents the characteristic form of the unfinished pyramids of Lambayeque. Entrance was obtained by means of an extensive ramp of about 100 meters which then zigzagged up to the top. It also has an annex placed against its eastern side extending out like an enormous platform. Huaca I was the site of the local political power and was in operation until the Inca period. There is evidence of its destruction by fire, especially on the overhangs of the facade, destruction that most likely took place during the abandonment of the city by the year 1533 with the capture and death of the Inca, Atahualpa, in Cajamarca. The findings from the excavations in the upper part of Huaca l can be summarized as follows:

The pyramids were the home of the local Lord, along with his servants. There is evidence of kitchens, waste storage areas, as well as deposits or storage rooms, and rooms with benches and niches.

There were areas of more religious importance, with walls decorated with colored marine motifs or friezes in clay relief.

There were at least three main construction periods, one after another, from 1200 to 1532. These periods are reflected by greatceremonial activity and collective construction that indicates a large population in the environs of the monument.

There were important regional findings: such as the remains of seeds of palm trees from Selva Baja, shells of Spondylus coming from Ecuador, and pottery indicative of the coastal style of Cajamarca. This ceramic includes a peculiar form that integrates Lambayeque and Cajamarca styles and indicates the strong relation between a system of roads and an intense commercial traffic.

1, 2, and 3 - Vessels in the late Lambayeque style discovered on the top of Huaca I, belonging to the Chimu period. 4 - a black vessel with a stirrup-type handle and neck of Chimú style representing a rayfish. It was found in a human burial site just south of the access ramp to

Huaca I.

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Mural Art of Huaca Las Balsas

A small hill located in the southwest end of the complex, it has seven superimposed constructive phases, all of them decorated with mythical topics commemorating complicated rites. The main topic is the sea: birds and waves, male birds and mythical birds depicted as rowing a craft with fishing nets surrounded by fishes and sea birds. As in other sectors, this site of religious importance is also associated with a residential and domestic sector that included a kitchen, rooms and a corral for llamas

Bass relief corresponding to the Huaca Las Balsas Phase VI. Here again, the topic is a wavy, bird-like personage.

Bass relief corresponding to the Huaca Las Balsas Phase ll. The reoccurring topic is that of the Mythical Bird carrying circular objects and wearing a headdress depicting diety.

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Lambayeque Temples

Sites for religious functions only were small, for example the Temple of the Sacred Stone. It was named this because of the discovery inside it of a stone brought from the Cerro Purgatorio, placed in the central part and flanked by lateral benches. The temple‘s door only allowed the access of a single person, and a wooden support was located in the threshold of the access, clearly indicating a locking system. This temple was of great importance, as evidenced by the offerings found therein: hundreds of miniature copper- plated objects, representing items ranging from musical instruments, to flora and fauna, ornaments, pottery, weapons, dress, footwear, hammocks, parasols, oars and various other instruments, as well as miniature textiles, abundant ceramic fragments, remains of llamas, many of them very young, marine shells, and crushed shells of many colors.

Its importance is also illustrated by the discovery of human remains, several of which had obviously been sacrificed. This sacred stone was of such importance that when the Chimu and Inca conquerors arrived later, they did some reconstruction of the area and deposited additional valuable offerings as a sign of respect. The Incas performed human sacrifices, accompanied by offerings that the priests from the capital of the Inca empire sent to the most important religious centers: Coricancha in Cusco, The Temple of the Sun of Pachacamac or the high sanctuaries such as Ambato in Arequipa or Cerro Plomo in Chile. These were statues made of silver or of shell, the males dressed in ”uncus” (typical shirts) or the females in fine wool and cotton shawls, held with silver and copper pins called ”tupos”, some with headdresses of feathers. These were buried with human remains at both sides of the temple‘s entrance. This is definitively one of the few cases in the northern coast that offers valuable information about the religious beliefs of Lambayeque and are unique in northern archaeology.

1. Hypothetical reconstruction of the Sacred Stone Temple of Túcume2. Classic vessel representing two temple structures decorated with „winged“

lateral tips/points on the roof that symbolize and accompany the main personage of Lambayeque worship.

3. Skull placed as an offering in front of the entrance to the Temple.4. Remains of a llama placed as an offering to the Temple.5. Figurine made of Spondylus shell, dressed with a woolen shirt.

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RECENT INVESTIGATIONSIN THE TEMPLE OF SACRED STONE

Túcume Archeologigacl Project (2005-2006)

Huaca Larga

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Excavations in Huaca Larga

Huaca Larga is the most extensive adobe mud brick building of the area, the Peruvian coast and probably of the world. Its dimensions are: 700 meters in length, approximately 280 meters in width, and 30 meters high. As its popular name indicates, it is an extensive platform with a number of large patios and squares with benches and niches in the lateral walls protected by covered galleries. The walls are covered with murals painted in red, white and black. The patios are connected by corridors and ramps. Some smaller platforms and areas with portions of the columns forming the structure of the roofs can still be seen. The main access is to the north and connect to wall-lined roads that come from the valley toward the east.

This building demonstrates three quite well-defined periods. The most ancient construction is Lambayeque, and is found at the deepest level, with a thick covering from later Chimu construction. These constructions are characterized by the use of convex flat adobe mud bricks and greenish plastered walls. With the Chimu conquest, the patios were enlarged and the building was extended to the base of La Raya Hill. On a platform in the center, a temple was constructed, decorated with murals representing a diving bird in a checkered pattern. This is the Temple of the Mythical Bird. Some of the large spaces at the west of the central square were used as cooking areas, where we have recovered a large quantity of food waste associated with the elite: i.e. shellfish, seafood, llama meat and abundant fruits. In addition, we have identified enlarged, widened spaces, with roofs supported by wooden columns of carob trees that were completely covered by a layer of cane, then covered with a thick layer of mud. These roofs cover long benches and narrow corridors and are connected to small enclosures in a higher level, with clean floors, showing no sign of fires or domestic use, and with benches. This seems to indicate areas of artisans’ workshops, or areas of control and administration.

When the Incas arrived, Huaca Larga was undoubtedly the center of political power, and therefore they decided to settle there, thus symbolizing the new conquest of Lambayeque in the most important urban center. Proof of this presence can be found in several buildings made of stone,

again using the wide patios, and other sectors. The cooking areas, even though they were remodeled, were left in the same location. The main diet was llama meat, using hot chili peppers, and less fish and seafood. In the central platform covering the Temple of the Mythical Bird Chimu, the Incas constructed a new building, with two rooms at the north and two at the south. The walls had large niches and fine plaster of gray mud.

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The Temple of the Mythical Bird

Detail of the tri-colored mural painting of the Temple of the Mythical Bird depicting a diving sea bird.

Located in the central platform of Huaca Larga, it has received this name because of the mural painting depicting a diving bird. This construction dates back to the conquest by the Chimu by the year 1375. The squares, patios and main platforms were also decorated with the sacred bird, a typical symbol of this region until the colonial period. The Temple is associated with several bordering enclosures that were covered over by the construction of the Inca building of stone.

Isometric Reconstruction of the Chimu Temple

The Inca Building

Built over the Temple of the Mythical Bird, it has four rectangular rooms, interconnected by three corridors. Two of them are located toward the north and two toward the south. The access to this sacred area was through the northeast side where we found remains of a ramp that connected the building with the north square of Huaca Larga. The four areas are built in stone brought from La Raya Hill and plastered with fine, gray, unpainted mud. Each piece had wide niches, and the whole building was covered with a roof made of carob trees and cane beams. The place had been remodeled, sealing the niches and enlarging some of the walls, which were approximately 3 meters in height.

Isometric Reconstruction of the Inca Temple

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The lnca Burial Grounds

A group of 22 funeral bundles were discovered inside the Inca room. Three of them were male and were buried individually. They were found in enclosure R1, located to the northeast. In enclosure R3, located in the southwest, 19 female bodies, buried in 5 groups, were discovered. These remains were buried by making holes in the floor of the temple, without any distinguishing architectural style, and then they were covered with earth. This would indicate that they were buried quickly, unlike the tombs found in Huaca Facho of Túcume, where the tombs of Inca elite were massive architectural structures, including large stone walls covered with plaster, niches and wooden corner columns made of carob trees supporting a heavy roof made of carob tree beams.

The women‘s burial grounds suggest a collective sacrifice in memory of the main personality buried in enclosure R1.

1. Floor plan of the Inca Temple2. Remains of male bodies found in Enclosure R1

3. Earrings of wood, covered with Spondylusshells found in Enclosure R3

4. Spindle made of carob tree5. Remains of female bodies found in Enclosure R3

The Main Inca Personageof Huaca Larga

Before abandoning the city, its occupants left evidence of a spectacular ritual: the burial of a local ruler, along with two males and nineteen females. His crown, breastplate and silver earrings, as well as his headdress of feathers and a cap with red tassels hanging on its left temple, are proof of his high position of royalty. This personage was approximately 30 years old when he died, very muscular and well built. His forehead was scarred with the wounds of a warrior. His nose had also been broken. It is probable that because of his position, he was rewarded by the Inca state with the emblems of his rank and leadership in the region.

1. Needle of a calero of silver with the image of a bird2. Laminated and embossed silver earring depicting a bird3. Crown of laminated, carved silver4. Tumi of shaped and hammered copper5. Laminated and embossed silver breastplate

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The Huaca Larga Fires

The Inca building suffered two fires during its abandonment process: the first one took place after the burial of the weavers, and the flammable material which was used to cover the Inca building, was brought from a cemetery. Therefore, this first fire was of a common ritual, and it destroyed many fabrics, wooden, metal and ceramic objects, as well as human and animal remains. Before being completely filled, a heavy rain flooded the enclosures, and some of them were almost completely covered. Others, especially those on the side, were flooded by rain water, causing a rapid deterioration of the clothing on the remains found in Enclosure R3. After such heavy rain, everything was again covered with soil. At this point the second fire ritual took place, burning the wood on the roofs, and this fire explains the reddish coloration on the upper part of the walls of the enclosure. Following this last fire, they continued burning and destroying all the roofs in the yards, squares and other enclosures of Huaca Larga and several buildings of the city, including the Temple of the Sacred Stone.

The South Plaza of Huaca Larga

The grand plazas Huaca Larga, during the Chimu and Inca eras, had roofed galleries with painted walls and ample storage space and were the scene for massive ceremonies. These grand reunions were supplied by the kitchens adjacent to the south Plaza. Recent excavations executed by Bernarda Delgado found evidence of similar spaces during the Lambayeque era.

Isometric Reconstructionof the Textile Workshop

in the south Plazaof the Huaca Larga

The Storage System

One of the most interesting discoveries at HUACA I has been the discovery of storehouses. These storage areas are 1.5 cubic meters in capacity and were filled with lavish goods used for the nobility and the religious rites. In these dug-out spaces we have discovered remnants of fine fabrics, tassels and many seeds „amalas“ (Nectandra s.p). nowadays commonly used by the local shamans. This area contained a ceremonial structure built on the west side with the external wall flared, a distinctive overhanging that is also seen in the facade of the large pyramids. Currently, several wooden carob tree beams or their likeness can still be seen in several buildings in the city. This is unique in the architecture of Lambayeque.

Architectural overhang discovered at the main structure of the southern annex of Huaca I. This replicates the exterior of the pyramids, giving them religious symbolism.

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The Community Work

The Lords of Túcume mobilized several communities for the collective labor of constructing the large public works: irrigation canals, cultivated lands, religious buildings, etc. In the construction of the pyramids, these communities left evidence of their contribution by marking the adobe with a code identifying themselves. This work, known as mitá, was carried out with the government providing food and a festive atmosphere with music, drinking and offerings to the gods.

The archaeological excavations have indicated the areas where the preparation of the mortar for the adobe bricks took place. The print of fabric is still visible in the mud (from the ponchos that were used to transport the bricks), as well as the footprints of children, adults and llamas found in the mortar of the construction, and an accumulation of chips of carob tree wood which was used in the work. There is also evidence of temporary buildings used in the construction, as well as abundant evidence of food waste and fires.

This system of community work, as marked in the adobe mud bricks, is one of the most important archaeological findings. Each of the local communities subject to the leader, marked the adobe mud bricks they made with their distinctive marking, thus verifying for administrative purposes their contribution to the construction work.

Adobe mud brick marksprinted in the housing area of

Túcume. Sandweiss (1995)

Túcume Today

Healers (shamans)

Faith healing is an ancient tradition with deep religious beliefs and a knowledge of herbal medicine. The use of Christian icons was eventually added in order to escape persecution as idol worshipers.

The „table“ and the shaman continue to be an integral part of traditional culture. In rural areas, the shaman plays an important role and is part of a magic world that has considerable influence in everyday life. Pagans, goblins and the animal world are considered charmed and are blamed for many sicknesses, which then must be attended to by a specialist healertrained to deal with them.

On the other hand, traditional medicine is very successful in several specialties: „hueseros“ (bone doctors), midwives and „sobanderos“ (people who relieve the pain by massage) play an important role and also depend on ancient knowledge oft he healing powers of plants, animals and the earth‘s resources in general.

The rural areas of Túcume and rural areas in general, possess a wide cultural richness reflected in the different traditions of the social, religious and economic life, and the magic world of the beliefs and myths. In many technological aspects (handicrafts, construction, agriculture, doctors: faith healing, shamans), ethnic and others, there are roots that go back to ancient times, even before the arrival of the Europeans, and they continue with a force that has surpassed time.

Diorama of a local traditional „table“. This museum display was prepared by Victor Bravo Caiusol

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Presentation

The Túcume site museum contains an exhibition called „A Thousand Years of Traditions of Túcume“. This basic exhibit has been carried out based on the Túcume Archaeological Project materials (1989-1994) and the ethnographic research performed since then by the Túcume Site Museum. We are grateful to the Kon Tiki Museum of Oslo, Nom/ay and to Dr. Thor Heyerdahl for financing the archaeological excavations, and to the staff of the Museum of Túcume and the National Institute of Culture of Lambayeque, for their invaluable support in this new effort.

We dedicate this exhibition and the publication of this guide to the people of Túcume, inheritors of an extraordinary traditional culture that is the foundation of this development.

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Ethnographic Rooms

Room 1The Kitchen farmer

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Cooking Utensils and theTúcume Cuisine

Excavations in diverse sectors of the pyramids of Túcume have shown us an important collection of the great variety of domestic cooking utensils used daily by the women, as well as that used in ceremonial rituals. It is important to point out that most of the collection come from burial plots, since in accordance with the beliefs of that time, the dead were buried with their cooking utensils containing, in many cases, their favorite food.

The Kitchen at Huaca Las Balsas

The religious importance of Huaca Las Balsas is reflected by it outstanding reliefs in mud of mythical and ritual content. However, these religiousenclosures were also associated with a domestic and residential sector. Huaca Las Balsas had an adjacent home with several rooms; among them, a cooking area, corridors connected by ramps, and a corral for llamas. The kitchen had a long bench beside a four-cornered fireplace made of adobe mud bricks with lateral ventilation ducts. Also found inside were the remains of firewood, charcoal and food, especially seafood. Everything indicates that it was used extensively. On the floor numerous organic remains were found, such as toasted corn, fruit (guanabana, avocado and pacay), llama, guinea pig bones, as well as fish remains. In one of the corners there were fragments of a storage jug, probably used for water. The plastered walls over the cooking areas contained traces of red paint.

Vessels used for Storage

These were very common, especially in the cooking areas. They were used to store liquid and probably grains. In spite of the time difference, the pottery currently being made in Mórrope, (a traditional pottery center located near Túcume) not only are in the same form, but are also made by using the old manufacturing technique known as „paleteado“, a feature unique to the abundant domestic pottery of Lambayeque. This required that a

wooden palette be used to hit the clay mass on the outside of the pottery, while inside the blow is supported with a boulder that allows the vessel to acquire the form the artisan desires. This same technique was used for the decoration on the pottery, demonstrating geometric motifs as well as other religious symbols, including the main deity. In this way, not only the cookware, but also the food preparation, was made sacred.

1. Serving spoons: They are made of carob tree wood and belong

to one of the Inca burials sites of Huaca Larga.

2. Wooden bowl coming from Huaca Larga. Inca Period.

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Utensils for the after Life

Kitchen utensils also accompanied men on their long trips after death. It was supposed that beyond the grave they also felt hunger and needed food. Therefore, we have generally found them to be buried with fruit, fish, seafood, guinea pig and llama meat. The studies of their diet also indicate the consumption of the meat of a hairless, Peruvian dog, well-known as „Chimo“ or „Biringo“. Also in abundance in the burial sites are pots, pitchers, plates, bowls, maté vessels, and large earthen jars of different sizes. Probably some of these were filled with chicha, as well as pots used to heat the never-failing „crisoIes“. In the case of Túcume, from the most important burial sites to the humble ones, kitchen ware was always included with food for this long trip, the vessels many times being covered with cotton cloths.

It is common to find maté vessels (Lagenaria sp) as part of the offerings from people of different social positions. Today, as in the past, these have different sizes, forms and functions. They were generally decorated with a technique creating designs made with a metal object heated over the fire.

Current Traditional CuisineThe underground ”Hornado”

Underground cooking is one of the Lambayeque traditions that is gradually being lost. A hole is made in the floor, in which a large earthen jar is placed. Around the base, a fire is set to the wood until the coals are red-hot. Carob tree wood is preferred (Prosopis pallida). Then, by using ropes, a smaller earthen pot is lowered into the larger pot. This smaller pot is filled with flavored and seasoned food: i.e. chicken, turkey, pork, guinea pig, or young goat meat, together with sweet potato, yucca, potato, corn, bananas, etc. „Tamales“ or „humitas „ made of corn, milled and filled with meat and wrapped in corn husks can also be included. A great part of the success depends on calculating the quantity of firewood to use in accordance with the quantity of prepared food. lt is also necessary to calculate the amount of time required to cook the food. This food is traditional, especially at family parties, weddings, baptisms and birthdays, accompanied with „double cooked“ white corn chicha (beer made from fermented corn).

Process:1. Dig a hole one square meter, and 1

meter in depth.2. Place the firewood in the hole and

burn it until it forms red-hot coals.3. A casserole with meat and seasoned

foods is prepared.4. The casserole is placed inside the hole

with the use of ropes.5. The casserole full of food is placed on

the live coals. 6. The earthen jar‘s mouth is covered

with banana leaves7. Cover the entire hole with carob tree

branches8. Then the hole is covered with fresh

banana leaves9. These are then covered with cloth10. Finally everything is covered with

clean earth.

The only thing left is to wait several hours to taste it!

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Filled jar atop the rocks Carob branches above the pit

Recipe

Ingredients:Beef, pork, duck, turkey, chicken and guinea pig meat; potato, sweetpotato, corn, banana, yucca, lettuce to decorate the dish. The meat isseasoned with garlic, pepper, cumin, chili pepper, panca pepper, vinegar,oil, salt, and powdered chili pepper.

Preparation:Cut the meat in small pieces and season with the spices. Allow them tomarinate for three to four hours. When the coals are ready, put all of theingredients into the earthen vessel and cover it with clean, green bananaleaves.

Crisoles of Lambayeque

It was common to find at the Túcume excavations as posthumous offerings, roughly finished miniature vessels modeled in clay, with no decoration and in a raw state known as „crisoles“. Some specialists believed they were to function simply as containers; however, our ethnography specialists theorized that they were used, as is the custom in Túcume, to heat the chicha, especially in winter and for their healing effects on flu, colds, and bronchial or respiratory illnesses.

Another special use of the heated chicha is for women in labor. It is said that it gives them courage for the childbirth, as well as being very necessary for nursing their babies. In Piura it is still known as „Chicha de Callana“. At the shops where the chicha is sold, or „chicheríos“, one can also be served hot chicha by requesting: „Chicha con Crisol.“

To obtain a higher temperature, a larger number of crisoles should be included or a larger pot, according to the size of the container. There were usually always crisoles in the red-hot coals of the fire; after they were used, they were left thereto dry.

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This custom has practically disappeared, but it remains in the memory and nostalgia of the elderly people. By the middle of the twentieth century this custom was perhaps lost forever. In archaeological terms, we have not been able to verify that it was a prehispanic custom. There have not been any discoveries of crisoles reported in fire pits, which would be an important proof, but they have only been found as offerings in the burial sites and in their raw, or uncooked state. However, these vessels have existed at least since Moche times at the beginning of the first millennium after Christ. During the Inca period they were still being used, but they had a more open neck and decorative figures were added, generally of animals. This custom continued until the Colonial period.

El Chicherio

The production of chicha, a beer made from fermented corn, is one of the basic activities of the daily life of Lambayeque. The local shops known as chicherios, are quite popular centers where people gather to socialize. Therefore, production and sale of the chicha is a profitable activity. In these shops, one can also purchase dishes made of fresh or salted fish and dishes of a very popular bean known as „zarandaja“. A customer can take his own fish and have the shop‘s owner prepare it without extra cost. Rum, as well as chicha, is very popular. These shops have picturesque names: „El Fierro” (The Iron Rod), ”Sal si Puedes” (Leave if You Can), etc. It is common to find social gatherings, enjoying music and playing cards; one game known as „Briscan“ is very popular, especially among the rural population.

Rural Cuisine

Nowadays, a common rural kitchen is made up of a fireplace, „tabancos” (mud and cane structures supported by small limbs of carob tree). These structures are used for storing cooking utensils, food or spices, (its contentsvary according to needs) and basic storage. The fire is built over an adobe, carob tree wood and mud structure. Beside it is an adobe structure which is used to store the firewood. In addition, there is always space to store all the necessary utensils. Usually inside the kitchen there are lines used to dry meat or salted fish as well as a hammock to cradle a small baby. It is not uncommon to also have domestic animals in the kitchen. The water storage containers are generally large ceramic jars placed in the corners of the kitchen and near the fire. The chicha production for domestic use generally requires a specialized space outside the kitchen called the „tavern“. This area is frequently in use because of the importance of chicha in their lives. For that reason, there is a long tradition of raising corn in these areas.

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El Batan de AlgarroboCarob Tree Grindstone

A unique feature of the La Leche valley is the almost total absence of boulders. Therefore, there are no large grindstones, as commonly found in other regions of Peru. Instead, the peasants use the strong carob tree wood, hollowed out immediately after the tree is cut.

To obtain a grindstone, they would have to travel long distances, or order one especially brought to them. Therefore, the grindstones made of carob tree are indispensable to them in milling the corn (jora) during the chicha production.

There are small grindstones of carob tree to be used by a single person, as well as larger ones to be used simultaneously by two people. Manufacturing a grindstone of the carob tree is an art that is being lost due to the number of mills producing small metal utensils.

Traditional baskets are made of reed and differ in size and form, depending on their function.

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Room 2Diet and the Textile Industry

Diet

The diet of the ancient population of Túcume was nutritionally rich in protein (meat of birds, llama, guinea pigs, fish, seafood) vitamins (vegetables, fruit, meat) glucose (honey and a variety of fruits), carbohydrates (yucca, corn, sweet potatoes) and minerals. The low rates of dental cavities and osteoporosis demonstrate that the population, in general, received proper nutrition.

The study of materials coming from the excavations of Túcume identified three varieties of the hairless Peruvian dogs or „biringo“. This domestic animal was also used as part of the meat resources in the population‘s diet. The resources for sea products, such as fish, mollusks and gastropods, were extensive.

Other prehispanic important products which were not identified in the excavations due to their rapid decomposition, were: sweet potato, yucca, potato, cucumber, peanut and some palm trees.

Perhaps they were like the current population, which doesn‘t drink water to appease their thirst, but rather chicha, which at that time was considered a sacred drink that also fed the gods and their ancestors. Therefore, the production of corn was of special interest. Nowadays it is absolutely normal to see that this nutritious drink is consumed, even from childhood. It is offered to visitors as a courtesy, and is used in special ceremonies. In general, we have not found great differences between the food consumed by the elite and the food eaten by the common population. Evidently there was great agricultural production because they turned the arid landscape into the arable lands we have inherited today by irrigating the outlying areas in the valley via a vast network of canals.

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PLANTS

R=Rare; A=Abundant

Common Name Scientific Name

ChirimoyaR Annona Cherimolia

GuanábanaA Annona muricata

Palta Persa americana

Pacay Inga feuillei

PaliloR Campomanesia sp.

GuayabaR Psidium guajava

Lúcuma Pouteria lucuma

Zapallo Cucurbita maxima, C. moschata

Algodón Gossypium barbadense

Mate Lagenaria siceraria

ManíR Arachis hypogaea

AlgarroboA Prosopis sp.

MaízA Zea mays

AlgasR Gigartina chamissoi

CocaR Erythroxylum sp.

Sandweiss, Daniel: El Sector Vivienda, en Túcume,Editado por el Banco de Crédito del Perú, 1986. pp. 192.

ANIMALS

R=Rare; A=Abundant

Common Name Scientific Name

MAMÍFEROSCamélidos(llama o alpaca)A

CuyPerroVenado de cola blancaR

PECES CARTILAGINOSOSTiburonesRayas

PECES ESPINOSOSSardinasAnchovetasCabrillaR

Familia de corvina, incl.ayanque, coco

LenguadosR

AVES No IDENTIFICADASR

LAGARTIJASR

CANGEREJOSMOLUSCOSA

MAMALIACameliada

Cavia porcellusCanis familiarisOdocoileus virginaianus

CHONDRICHTHYESCacharhiniformesRajiformes

OSTEICHTHYESClupeidaeEngraulidaeParalabrax humeralisSciaenidae, incl.Cynoscion analis yParalonchuruspeuanusBothidae

AVESREPTILIACRUSTACEAEMOLLUSCAcasi exclusivamentela pequeña almeja Donaxobesulus

Sandweiss, Daniel: El Sector Vivienda, en Túcume,Editado por el Banco de Crédito del Perú, 1986. pp. 193.

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Textile Industry

The materials displayed here come from the excavations of the Huaca Larga of Túcume and correspond to the Inca occupation period. We don‘t have much information about the Chimu and Lambayeque periods, but that doesn‘t mean that this specialty had not been developed during the pre-Inca periods. The techniques, designs and icons captured in the instruments and fabrics, show us a strong presence of the Lambayeque culture that remained in effect even after the successive Chimu and Inca conquests.

A weaving of feathers from the Huaca Larga. Made on a vegetable structure and white cotton with feathers of various birds woven in also including wool adornments of various colors.

Tiza de Huaca (Huaca Chalk)

This was once called „Yapato“ or „Yapate“, as it is still known in some areas of Piura. It is a dough made of burnt and powdered shells. This fact also explains its use as a remedy for certain skin diseases because of its high sulfur content. It was found in the excavations, specifically as burial offerings.

Cloth made of feathers taken from the headdress of the most important personage of Huaca Larga. It is made of a vegetable fiber and cloth of white cotton to which the feathers of different species of birds are sewn Decorations of tinted colored wool have also been attached.

Cotton mantels decorated with the technique called ”dyeing on reserve”. The left one shows mythological animals surrounded by fish; and the right one is padded and shows staggered figures. Both are part of the funeral trousseau of the main personage of Huaca Larga. Inca Period.

Uncu made of cotton in miniature deposited as an offering to the Temple of the Sacred Stone. Lambayeque Period.

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Current Textile Industry

There are many similar elements between the past and the present in the textile handicrafts. The coastal towns were always famous for their weavers and the people of Lambayeque were no exception. This tradition continues and is an expression of an ancestral culture that refuses to die out.

The weaving process is quite complex. Once gathered, the cotton fiber is treated by a process called „vareado“ (the cotton is previously pounded to soften it) using thin and flexible quince branches for whipping the cotton. This procedure removes the seeds and softens the fiber. The bundles are made by rolling the whipped cotton. The use of the native, brown cotton or fifo (Gossypium barbadense) is restricted to production of articles for personal use, and is not used for items to be sold on the market. The native cotton also has medicinal properties and comes in at least seven natural colors. Working with textiles is still today one of the preferred chores of a rural mother, producing the clothing and items to be used by her own family.

A typical rural loom for weaving ”alforjas” (knapsacks). Instruments and basic technology is the same as in prehispanic times.

Cotton bundle on its base ready for spinning

Spinning is truly a specialized art. The spinner does her work sitting down, contrary to the highlands custom of spinning while walking or shepherding animals. The number and size of the spindles is related to the quantity of threads to work. In order to make finer thread, ”tiza de Ia huaca” the chalk mentioned previously, is constantly applied to the fingers. This is indispensable for the spinner. Following an ancient tradition, they prepare the stakes in a special way to wrap the thread among them, being able to twist threads of several colors. It is then transferred to the loom to begin the fabric combining the warp and woof.

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„Alforjas“ or Knapsacks

These double bags of varied sizes are very popular among the rural people of Lambayeque. There are those used for transporting products on a larger scale on beasts of burden (saddlebags), and those for carrying food, drink or other smaller items used by the peasant over the shoulder. There are also very small, decorated knapsacks worn over the shoulder by men or women during festivals or holidays.

”Fajas” or Sashes

These are an indispensable item of rural dress. They are used specifically during working hours to avoid injuries to the back or hernias from lifting weight. Young men receive this garment as a gift from their mother when they leave adolescence and enter manhood. They are commonly made of native cotton, woven with multicolored industrial threads.

Knapsack weaving detail Sash Weaving detail

Religious Customs

The festival of the Virgen de la Purisima Concepcion, the patron saint of Túcume, is celebrated on various dates in the month of February. In addition, there is a festival called the „mid-year” holiday, taking place in the month of September. There are two statues of the Virgin, one ”large” and the other „small”. This small statue is the „andariega“ (wandering) statue and during the year she visits all of the villages in the district, as well as Ferreñafe and Mochumi, before finally returning to Túcume for the festival. This festival includes the „danza de Ios diablicos de Túcume“ (dance of the possessed people of Túcume), a theatrical dance where the „danza de los 7 vicios“ (dance of the seven sins) is dramatized. This dance has its origins in colonial times and includes a special mixture of black and Andean music, with the accompaniment of a chirimía, an instrument of Arab origin. Therefore, it is a unique representation of the similarities in the cultural development of Lambayeque.

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Miniature Offerings

These have been one of the most important discoveries in the Archaeological Túcume Project. It is the first time documentation is available of the complex ceremonies that were carried out there, as well as the importance and fame of a divinity revealed by a sacred stone. In the Muchik language, these stones were called „Pong“. Within a festival atmosphere the ceremonies involved sacrifices of humans, llamas and guinea pigs, different kind of offerings: i.e. snails and shells brought from the warm equatorial seas, many miniature objects made of silver and copper, fragments of ceramic, aromatic seeds, colored powders, leaves of several plants, fabrics in miniature, etc. Different personages would then arrive, especially those belonging to the nobility, who would communicate with Deity. The Temple functioned from at least the thirteenth century (1200 A.D.) until the arrival of the Inca. During the 300 years it was in use it had several repairs. It was set on fire before its abandonment, as well as the whole city.‘ This probably happened around the time of the Spanish conquest and the occupation of Cajamarca in 1532.

The miniature offerings in silver and copper found so far, dedicated to the Temple of the Sacred Stone of Túcume, have different representations; plants, animals, fruits, fish, musical instruments, footwear, weapons, parasols, hammocks, breastplates, crowns, masks, plates, pitchers, tablespoons, ritual vessels, palettes, oars, looms, etc. They were placed in groups inside and around the temple to solicit the favor of the gods.

Silver Conapa incan press of various colors and feathers, left as an offering in the temple of sacred stone.

Miniature offerings from the temple of sacred stone of copper more than 1000 pieces were recovered.

The Cross Of Chalpon

Currently, miniature metal offerings are dedicated to the characters of the Christian culture: crosses, statues of Christ, Virgins and Saints. These offerings include replicas of plants, fruits, animals, work instruments, houses, body organs such as kidneys, stomachs, eyes, heads, arms, legs, etc., as well as vehicles, musical instruments, children‘s figures, and others such as boxing gloves, soccer balls, crafts, fishing nets, etc. In other places of importance, such as the sanctuary ”Santisima Cruz del Cerro Chalpon”, one can observe a number of letters, postcards, pictures and other more traditional items such as human hair, feathers of birds or animal bristles, generally stuck to the walls with the wax of candles. These are found inside or next to the rocky cave where the sanctuary is located. This is a peculiar mix of the Christian culture, expressed in a prehispanic ancient religious form, similar to the offerings of the Temple of the Sacred Stone.

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Traditional cuisine 51”CrisoIes” of Lambayeque 53El Chicherio 55Rural kitchens 55The Batan made of Carob tree 56Traditional basketry 57

Room 2: Diet and the Textile Industry 58

The Prehispanic diet 59Plants 60Animals 61The prehispanic textile 62Tiza de Huaca 62Current textile industry 64Alforia or saddlebags 66Fajas or strips 66Temple of the Sacred Stone 67Miniature offering 68Cross of Chalpon 69

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Index

Pág.Presentation 5

Museum Labor 6

Main Hall 7

Lambayeque Culture 8Pyramids of Túcume 10Foundation of Túcume 10Legend of Naymlap 13Universal episodes contemporary to Túcume 16Investigation 19Archeological Complex 21The Túcume project 22Archeological excavations 24Burial patterns in Túcume 25Huaca l Excavations 28Mural Art of Huaca Las Balsas 30Temple of the Sacred Stone 31Recent investigation 34Excavations of Huaca Larga 36Temple of the Mythical Bird 38Inca building 39Inca funerals 40Main Inca character of Huaca Larga 41Fires at Huaca Larga 42South Plaza of Huaca Larga 42The system of deposit 43Collective work 44Túcume today 45Los Maestros Curanderos 45

ETHNOGRAPHIC ROOMS Room 1: The Kitchen Farmer 46

Túcumes cooks and cuisine 48Kitchen of Huaca de las Balsas 48Storage vessels 49Utensils for afterlife 50

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„four leagues form Motupe is the beautiful valley of Jayanca… and a long time ago it was very populated, and found there in the large rooms, are the remains of the most import and Lord… these native Lords were loved and venerated … and they were accompanied and served by women, servants, porters and guards. From this valley you travel to… Tuqueme… large and impressive and full of forests and groves, and the buildings, evens though they are ruined and demolished, demonstrate how amazing it was…“

Pedro Cieza de León

„The most interesting ruins are without a doubt those of Túcume, the most conspicuous and grandiose…. here we have one of the main centers of civilization. Other than the ruins of Chan Chan… I don’t know of a land where so many large and joined Huacas are in the region.“

Hans Heinrich Bruning

„Túcume is the most impressive archaeological group of pyramids in the Lambayeque complex.“

Paul Kosok

„When I came across the forest of isolated carob trees the hides the view of the ruins, I though I was dreaming. I had never seen anything like this. The largest complex of monumental structures of adobe in the new world, 26 large pyramids and many other smaller ones, contained in a sacred place that covers 500 acres.“

Thor Heyerdahl

Proyecto Especial NaylampMUSEO DE SITIO TÚCUMELambayeque-Perú074-830250museotucume@hotmail.comwww.museodesitiotucume.com