Peru finds preserved wooden figure in the Americas’ largest mud-brick city
Lima, Jun 28 (EFE).- A perfectly preserved wooden figure has been found in northern Peru’s archaeological site of Chan Chan, the largest mud-brick city in the Americas, the Ministry of Culture reported Tuesday.
The researchers of the excavation work in the third stage of the “Recovery of the Huaca Takaynamo of the Chan Chan Archaeological Complex” project, pointed out that the object measures 46 centimeters long and 16 centimeters high and represents a human figure with a trapezoid-shaped hat decorated with seven vertical stripes of alternating light and dark colors.
The figure was found in the Huaca Takaynamo site, associated with the Chimú culture that lived between the 12th and 15th centuries, in Trujillo province of La Libertad department.
The face of the sculpture is flat, oval in shape and painted red, said archaeologist and head of the Research, Conservation and Enhancement Unit of the Chan Chan Special Archaeological Project, Arturo Paredes Núñez.
He added that the nose protrudes from the plane of the face and the figure has almond-shaped eyes and circular ears with a black resin inside that would have served to affix mother-of-pearl plates.
Núñez said this archaeological piece has been documented in a secondary context, which alludes to the character appearing to be a porter, that is, one who carried high priests, dignitaries and sacred objects.
Its torso, arms, and hands appear to have been painted red, and dark circular spots can be seen on its chest.
In addition, the character wears a triangular skirt, the edge of which is decorated with small rectangular bands, similar to those of the hat. Its legs are straight and its feet are set apart, and the fronts of them have been partially cut or broken off.
The Ministry of Culture also said that nectandra seeds were also recovered that would have formed a necklace (some have thread inserted), and under the sculpture a small black bag with brown and white thread decoration was recorded. EFE
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