﻿164 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  E. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  ARCHITECTURE 
  

  

  General 
  architectural 
  knowledge 
  also 
  evolved 
  from 
  Cupisnique 
  

   into 
  Mochica. 
  The 
  Mochicas 
  did 
  not 
  build 
  great 
  cities 
  of 
  the 
  order 
  

   of 
  Chanchan, 
  but 
  their 
  structures 
  are 
  handsome 
  and 
  reveal 
  consid- 
  

   erable 
  knowledge 
  of 
  architectural 
  principles. 
  They 
  attained 
  esthetic 
  

   harmony 
  by 
  studying 
  the 
  strength 
  and 
  nature 
  of 
  their 
  building 
  

   materials. 
  

  

  Construction 
  was 
  principally 
  with 
  rectangular, 
  mold-made 
  adobes. 
  

   These 
  were 
  developed 
  from 
  the 
  odontiform 
  adobes 
  of 
  the 
  earlier 
  

   periods. 
  Kough 
  stone 
  was 
  used 
  for 
  wall 
  foundations. 
  In 
  large 
  

   buildings, 
  or 
  in 
  walls 
  built 
  along 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  roads, 
  semicircular, 
  

   bread-shaped 
  adobes 
  were 
  used. 
  Roofs 
  were 
  made 
  of 
  straw, 
  cane, 
  

   matting, 
  and 
  totora, 
  supported 
  with 
  algarroba 
  beams. 
  Algarroba 
  

   timbers 
  were 
  also 
  used 
  as 
  a 
  framework 
  for 
  the 
  great 
  masses 
  of 
  adobe 
  in 
  

   the 
  solid 
  pyramids. 
  

  

  Dwellings 
  were 
  usually 
  small 
  and 
  consisted 
  of 
  rooms 
  connected 
  by 
  

   rectangular 
  doors, 
  some 
  of 
  which 
  were 
  arched 
  at 
  the 
  top. 
  6 
  Houses 
  

   frequently 
  had 
  patios 
  and 
  terraces, 
  and 
  some 
  had 
  small 
  entrance 
  

   rooms. 
  Roofs 
  were 
  gabled, 
  with 
  an 
  open 
  space 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  slopes 
  

   at 
  the 
  peak, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  houses 
  not 
  only 
  provided 
  shelter 
  against 
  the 
  

   rains 
  but 
  were 
  also 
  well 
  ventilated. 
  

  

  Palaces 
  were 
  erected 
  on 
  outstanding 
  sites 
  or 
  on 
  the 
  tops 
  of 
  pyra- 
  

   mids. 
  They 
  were 
  approached 
  by 
  broad 
  stairways. 
  Both 
  exteriors 
  

   and 
  interiors 
  of 
  the 
  palaces 
  were 
  decorated 
  with 
  symbolical 
  figures 
  

   executed 
  as 
  frescoes 
  and 
  polychrome 
  murals 
  in 
  relief. 
  Adobes 
  with 
  

   decorative 
  geometric 
  stucco 
  motifs 
  were 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  building 
  of 
  palaces 
  

   and 
  temples. 
  

  

  Forts, 
  located 
  at 
  strategic 
  points 
  in 
  the 
  Mochica 
  territory, 
  are 
  

   solid 
  structures. 
  Often 
  they 
  are 
  surrounded 
  by 
  massive 
  high 
  walls. 
  

   The 
  stairs, 
  in 
  contrast 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  palaces, 
  are 
  narrow 
  and 
  steep, 
  

   to 
  prevent 
  free 
  access. 
  The 
  smooth 
  walls 
  are 
  inclined, 
  sacrificing 
  

   artistic 
  harmony 
  to 
  obtain 
  strategic 
  efficiency. 
  

  

  Temples 
  were 
  built 
  upon 
  the 
  great 
  solid 
  pyramids 
  and 
  were 
  deco- 
  

   rated 
  with 
  complicated 
  polychrome 
  friezes 
  of 
  a 
  religious 
  character. 
  

  

  The 
  principle 
  of 
  the 
  column 
  was 
  known 
  and 
  frequently 
  employed. 
  

   On 
  the 
  Tambo 
  Real 
  Hacienda 
  (pi. 
  72, 
  bottom), 
  in 
  the 
  Santa 
  Valley, 
  a 
  

   monumental 
  column 
  26 
  feet 
  (8 
  m.) 
  high 
  stands 
  on 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  a 
  great 
  

   pyramid. 
  

  

  The 
  Mochicas 
  knew 
  and 
  controlled 
  the 
  techniques 
  of 
  clay 
  covering, 
  

   plastering, 
  and 
  stuccoing 
  for 
  wall 
  finish. 
  

  

  ROADS 
  

  

  Sections 
  of 
  roads 
  are 
  still 
  in 
  existence 
  on 
  the 
  pampa 
  of 
  Chicama 
  and 
  

   in 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  Santa. 
  These 
  roads 
  were 
  9.80 
  m. 
  (about 
  33 
  ft.) 
  wide 
  

  

  8 
  Special 
  attention 
  should 
  be 
  called 
  to 
  the 
  arch 
  form 
  mentioned 
  above. 
  There 
  are 
  examples 
  of 
  it 
  in 
  

   Mochica 
  temple 
  and 
  tomb 
  construction. 
  Although 
  known 
  at 
  this 
  time, 
  the 
  arch 
  was 
  rarely 
  used. 
  

  

  