2023-06-29 06:00:08
The ancient wall of La Cumbre, located in the desert of northern Peru, has long intrigued scientists. Initially, it was believed that the Chimú people built it to protect themselves from Inca invasions. However, a new study proposes a completely different function for this impressive 10 kilometer long structure.
This ancient wall of earth (Earth is the third planet in the Solar System in order of distance…) extends over 10 kilometers through the desert (The word desert today designates a sterile zone or one that is not very conducive to the. ..) and two riverbeds (In hydrography, a river is a watercourse that flows under the influence of…) near Trujillo in the north (North is a cardinal point, opposite the south.) of Peru.
Crédit: Gabriel Prieto/Huanchaco Archaeological Project
The wall of La Cumbre, located near Trujillo, was instead erected to protect agricultural land and canals from flooding caused by the climatic phenomenon El Niño, according to the research (Scientific research refers in the first place to the set of actions taken in sight…) conducted by Gabriel Prieto, archaeologist at the University of Florida (The University of Florida (University of Florida, abbreviated as UF) is a…).
Distinctive layers of flood sediments were found only on the east side of the wall.
Crédit: Gabriel Prieto/Huanchaco Archaeological Project
El Niño, known to cause droughts in parts of the world, brings heavy rains to Ecuador and northern Peru. The floods that the phenomenon generates would have been a major danger for the people (The term people adopts different meanings according to the point of view where one places oneself.) Chimú, because of the damage that they cause.
Radiocarbon dating of the lowest layers shows that the wall began to be built around 1100 AD, shortly after a large El Niño flood.
Crédit: Gabriel Prieto/Huanchaco Archaeological Project
Radiocarbon dating of the wall’s sediments revealed that its construction began around the year 1100, probably after a major flood due to El Niño. The wall was erected on two dry riverbeds, which fill during El Niño, indicating a protective function of agricultural lands to the west (West is a cardinal point, opposite to east. It is the direction towards which is…), along the coast.
The wall was once thought to have been built to repel the Incas. But the new research suggests it was built to ward off flooding.
Crédit: Gabriel Prieto/Huanchaco Archaeological Project
Prieto has also discovered evidence of mass child sacrifice at Chimú sites, which he believes is related to El Niño flooding. He suggests that the rulers of Chimú society may have exploited the recurring disaster to bolster their authority through sacrifice.
Edward Swenson, an archaeologist at the University of Toronto, not involved in the research, supports Prieto’s interpretation, although he thinks the wall may have had a defensive function in addition to its function against flooding.
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