CHINCHA CULTURE: HISTORY, CHARACTERISTICS, ECONOMY, RELIGION - HISTORY - 2025

The Chincha culture was a civilization that developed in Peruvian territory before the arrival of Europeans to the American continent.

It arose around the year 1000 AD. C., after the fall of the Wari Empire, and it lasted until 1476 d. C., when they were annexed to the Inca Empire.

Ceramic structure of the chicha culture

The name of this civilization comes from the word chinchay or chincha, which in the Chincha Quechua language means jaguar or ocelot.

This culture occupied the territory made up of the valleys of Cañete, Ica, Nazca and Pisco. The capital of this society corresponds to Chincha, the current city of Peru.

The favorable conditions of the land allowed them to develop various agricultural activities, such as agriculture, which became the basis of the Chincha economy.

Likewise, they established commercial relations with other contemporary civilizations, belonging to Ecuador, Chile, Colombia and Venezuela. The main products exchanged were seashells and precious stones.

The chinchas were organized around the political form of the manor, in which a chinchaycapac ruled, which was the equivalent of a king or sovereign.

Today archaeological sites where the Chinchas lived are preserved, such as La Centinela, composed of two adobe pyramids.

Location and periods of existence

The Chincha culture developed in southwestern Peru, near the Pacific Ocean. In their heyday, they occupied the valleys of Cañete, Ica, Nazca and Pisco.

It is estimated that the Chincha culture was established after the decline of the Wari empire, between approximately 900 and 1000, and its presence extended until around 1500, when they were conquered by the Incas.

Its capital was the city of Tambo de Mora, and due to its location, it was essentially a maritime society. The islands off the coast of Peru closest to the Chincha Valley are called the Chinchas Islands.

Despite the fact that the decline of the Chincha culture is due to the Inca intervention in their territories, it is estimated that for several years both cultures lived in parallel.

In fact, few civilizations came to have a ruler with such importance as the highest ruler of Chincha, or lord of Chincha, in front of the Inca emperor.

History

The first archaeologist to study Chincha culture was the German Max Uhle, who is credited with discovering the remains of this civilization.

Studies of this culture show that the Chincha began to organize as a society between the 9th and 10th centuries.

However, in this period society was quite archaic, since it relied heavily on fishing and the collection of seashells. This is known as the pre-chincha culture.

In the 11th century there was a change in the organization of these groups, giving rise to the Chincha culture itself. They developed architecture and agriculture, as well as an irrigation system to work in the dry lands.

In addition to this, they acquired and developed knowledge regarding navigation, with which they were able to establish marine trade routes.

Between the years 1438 and 1471, the Incas carried out expeditions in the Chincha territory. This first contact was not intended to conquer the Chincha Kingdom, but to establish political and economic relations that would strengthen the position of both societies.

Between 1471 and 1493, the Chincha Kingdom was annexed to the Inca Empire. However, the Chinchas still retained part of their political and economic autonomy. Three years later, this culture merged with the Inca, with which it disappeared.

Economy

The terrain of the Cañete, Ica, Nazca and Pisco valleys was extremely fertile, which allowed the Chinchas to practice agriculture as an economic activity.

In fact, this activity was so relevant to this civilization that 40% of the workforce was dedicated to the cultivation of vegetable products. The most common products were beans, cotton, corn, and lima beans.

In this area, hydraulic systems were even developed that allowed irrigation of the most arid lands to increase agricultural production.

Fishing was also relevant, being the second economic activity with the largest workforce (33%).

On the other hand, 20% of the workforce was engaged in commerce. The Chinchas developed an extensive commercial network, which covered various Latin American nations, including Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela and Mexico. To do this, they established trade routes, both land and water.

By land, they moved thanks to llamas, vicuñas and other camelids. By water, they moved through resistant boats, which crossed the Pacific Ocean in different directions.

Among the commercialized products, the mullu (a kind of shell that was considered food for the gods), seaweed, salted fish, fabrics and figures carved in wood stand out. In exchange, the chinchas received copper, gold, emeralds, wool, and coca leaves, among others.

7% of the workers were artisans. These were dedicated to different activities, such as working in wood, with fabrics, among others.

With regard to the textile industry, the chinchas stood out for their cotton fabrics, whose finishes were of quality.

Navigation

It has been said that the Chinchas were able to navigate to the extreme north and south of Peruvian territory in order to market their goods.

Some studies have even considered the possibility that the Chinchas, thanks to their navigation skills, managed to reach Central America, to carry out commercial transactions with local civilizations.

The main currency of the Chincha culture had its way of being in snails, although barter was a very popular method of transaction.

Its trade routes were very effective, triangulating its presence in various regions of the Peruvian territory.

At the time when the Inca empire was still in the process of consolidating as such, the Chincha culture had a large commercial presence in various regions.

Social organization

There are certain investigative diatribes about the militaristic character that Chincha society may or may not have.

In some of the given classifications of their social organization, military positions are not present, although the society is clearly divided into classes.

Another factor influencing this is the claim that the Chinchas were peacefully conquered by the Incas at the time.

The system of government that characterized the Chincha culture was that of lordship, in which a man was in charge of ruling the different regions through which the Chincha civilization spread; These received the name of Chinchaycapac.

Below these, civil society divided by classes was structured, among which was the nobility, whose members were in charge of administrative tasks within society; then the priests and main religious representatives would follow; finally, the town comprised of peasants, fishermen, artisans and merchants.

The importance of Chinchaycapac has been said to be such that, even after being conquered by the Incas, it was a rank that maintained its official validity and symbolic importance for a considerable amount of time.

Religion

The Chincha civilization maintained the same religious behaviors as its contemporaries, in terms of the high superstitious capacity they possessed, making the worship of the gods the center of their life and of many of their activities.

The main gods of the Chincha culture were Chinchaycamac and Urpihuachay, a female goddess whose name translates as "the one who lays down doves", also considered the protector of fishermen and those who embarked towards the sea.

The Chinchas attributed the origin of their gods to an island, and these were venerated in temples and huacas built especially for religious worship.

A particular species of seashell called Spondylus was the main element that accompanied the religious ceremonies carried out by the Chinchas for much of their existence.

Sailing and fishing

Chinchas have historically come to be considered the best fishermen in the history of Peru. Even other coastal cultures and communities did not seem to have the same skills or knowledge to master marine activities.

This culture was recognized for its navigation skills, which facilitated the exchange of goods through sea routes.

The Chinchas established routes through the North-South Pacific line. In this way, a connection was created between the Kingdom, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Venezuela and even Mexico.

Such was the importance of navigation that the influence and power of a Chincha king was measured by the number of vessels he had. The king's fleet consisted of 200 rafts (at least) used for trade.

Pottery and stonework

Among the main scholars and researchers of the Chincha culture is Federico Kauffmann Doig, a Peruvian archaeologist who has left a great mark addressing the social and historical aspects of the Chincha civilization during his professional life.

Culturally, the Chincha civilization manifested its wealth through artisanal and metallurgical practices, evidenced in the vestiges of ceramics and stone and mineral works that have been discovered over the years.

Another primary material that they worked in a special way during their time was wood. Techniques applied to wood have attracted the attention of many researchers and archaeologists.

Woodcuts were the technical common denominator of the Chincha civilization, giving them great artisanal prestige in the coastal region of Peru. For their ships and shipping companies, the chinchas also made wooden rudders.

Ceramics

Most of the discoveries about the Chincha culture have been revealed from the ceramics found.

These have various qualities: polychromy and the use of red clay prevail; They have compositions of geometric figures accompanied by silhouettes and human and animal illustrations.

They came to make vessels and jars with a round body and long neck (similar to the amphorae of antiquity) that have been considered unique to this culture.

Chincha ceramics could be of two styles: functional or decorative. Functional creations were those that were used in domestic settings and in religious rites.

These include pots, oval pitchers, long-necked jugs with handles, flat and convex plates, and other containers.

Decorative ceramics reached its maximum expression in the cuchimilcos, figures that represent square-headed women.

White clay was used, which could be oxidized to obtain red and black tones. The ceramic works were simple, with simple but colorful decorations.

Architecture

Chincha culture developed architecture. The main element of its constructions was adobe, which was shaped like blocks. Today, some of these buildings are still preserved in the Chincha valley, in San Pedro and in Tambo Mora.

One of the main archaeological ruins is La Centinela (near the city of Chincha Baja), which is made up of two pyramids of a religious nature, houses, patios, streets, among other constructions.

References

1. Across the Pacific: From Ancient Asia to Precolombian America. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from books.google.co.ve
2. Ceramics and weavings of Chincha culture. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from am-sur.com
3. Chincha culture. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from en.wikipedia.org
4. Chincha Alta. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from en.wikipedia.org
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6. The Huaca Centinela and the Chincha culture. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from enperublog.com
7. The Ica-Chincha Culture Peru. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from tampere.fi
8. The Late Intermediate Period - Chimu and Chincha Cultures. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from discover-peru.org