ENGLISH ESPAÑOL
PREFACE
The magic valley of Casma is an excelent laboratory for the study of sciences and arts because its deep and rich history.This rehearsal is product of a necesity to comunicate my living experience as an Architec living in Casma.I feel a strong commitment with the valley and its inhabitants.
ORGANIZATION OF THE VALLEY
The Casma Valley is located in the north central coast of Perú.
Agriculture was the main economic activity because the abundance of hydric resource in the river basin and the wealth of its farming territories.Its maintenance was the priority of the reign, because this alley ties the coast, mountain range and jungle.
The irrigation infrastructure was superb; an unimaginable value of hydraulic mancraft with artificial ponds, dams, channels whose designs in form of comb(Graf.1),last until today :the water springs(puquios), water eyes, that modernity come destroying.The state took care of them,and forced permanently cleaning of the channels and springs. Also its economy was based on the fishing, the trade,hunting and other collateral activities.
DIVISION OF THE VALLEY
There were 3 sections in the San Rafael's river basin (Graf.2) for a better handling and possibly organization of the space, beginning in the head by man made ponds such as:Shaullan, Alpaquilla, Quillo, Huacho and finish in the great river's delta that extends parallelly to the sea.The main porpose of this division was to increase the farming lands in asimetric shape known what it is like the section of the
harbour Casma
| DIVISION IN 3 SECTIONS |  |
 Artificial ponds.
- A-The Creek
- B-The gate
- C-El llano o pueblo(delta large)
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THE PLANNING OF THE RIVER BASIN
The Valley became to its highest point of development in the formative stage(2,000 años a.n.e).The ancient inhabitants had a three stage calendar, before- Niño,Niño and after Niño,and they were prepared for any natural desaster.This knowledge came from they Solar Astronomic calendar of the Complex of Chanquillo and the Thirteen Towers;We suppose the remains of more buildings in this complex are sand sunked and that today arise diverse rest of masonry.The observatory of CHANQUILLO was the core(Graf.3)
To this we added the disposition of the diverse structures of the river basin, as if outside a sleeve of a garden that arrived until the foot of the valley, in the opening formed by the confluence of the rivers Grande(San Rafael) and Sechin(Loco)(Graf.1) the space of the valley was fitted out in both banks by platforms built parallel and they to the date exist. In the right bank an extensive curtain of forest of carob trees with own plants and annimals.They also were a filter of protection against sea sands.The buildings located in this bank were bound to the sea and in the right bank they were bound to the mountain range and jungle.(Graf.4)
It is to clear that there was not isolation between both banks, but there were suspension bridges that in times of rains integrated both spaces.
TERRITORIAL PLANNING
As consequence of they organization there was a homogeneus division of the territory in the social aspect ;Undoubtedly there was an order of the basin not only of agricultural land, including the entire infrastructure of civil works and architecture based on other facilities beginning by channeling rivers.They built stone walls, mud with clay,farming of plants like carob trees, brave cane and huamboso reduce or to diminish the effects of the flood damage in the river banks because the arrival of the Niño current.
OUTLINE PLANS: SCENARIO PLANNING OF THE VALLEY |
THERE WERE CITIES?
In this case I allow myself to differ the denomination of city in its western conception.I would like to use the concept of set of occupations and services for the diverse human activities in the Casma society such as buildings for the cult,undertakers,warehouses,hospitals,schools,templos,meeting places.
Each building had a specialty and an own fuction related to the valley's lord.
always located in the upper sector beyond the reach of the river, there was not a concentration of buildings of various activities
but one ocupación of the valley according to their necessities an architectural planning,all the space of the valley united by road networks from the coast happening through the mountain range and arriving at the forest as one whole territory integration;that also existed roads at intervals of the Sierra (1000 m.a.s.l) or more.
BUILT-UP VILLAGE
Fortuitously in 1983 due to the phenomenon of the Niño they arose foundations of a grouping of constructions already known by the resident of the valley Ermites Maya Aranda, who mentions the existence of reliefs in the main place.
The village was protected by a perimeter fence with two entrances, forming an axis pedestrian and buildings zoned rationally with their own gardens and free areas.
The main construction materials are conical adobe,medium-sized stones, clay with small wedges of stone. Double quincha.The walls were filled with paste with clay and painted.Wooded with ornamental plants and water mirrors, because there are vestiges of channels.(Graf.5)I guess that the population has been of about 1.500 to 2.000 inhabitants and the area of 250m2 x 350 m2 that is to say, an extension of almost 9 hectares.
ROLE OF THE VILLAGE
By the inconography of the mural with reliefs we suppose that this region was a center of work dedicated to the industrialization of the dry fish, this product was raw material for the interchange with the mountain range and the forest,
Another serious version the exposed one by Don Mayan Ermites, the existence of a deity a God fish with horns called “Saccra " (Devil) at the moment in extinción in the sea of Casma.
FINDING OF THE LOW LEVEL EMBOSED WALL IN OF THE MAIN PLACE
The intense winds of the current of the Niño for our surprise let us see an inverted triangle of the mural of 1,50 meters basic x 0,60 cm of height finely elaborated and with perfect finishing in monochrome color.But the impressive thing of the design is the application of the basic principles of the aesthetic :The mathematical proportionswhose network of line guide is the Rhombus, also found in huaca of the Moon, Kuelap, weaves and in the Mayan art, the rate, symmetry, the balance, the resistance and the Stylisation of the figures incredible and matchless constructed with 3 inches of thickness grazes approximately of clay .We observe the embosed walls as if they were done to "machine".I guess the size of the mural is 50 meters in length x2 meters of height that is to say, 100 m2 of area.We think about the urgency of a protection of this sample of mural art and whose invoice demonstrates a nonwell-known technique, superior to other existing ones in the Peruvian coast. This embosed wall was covered with sand to avoid its destruction.(ver Graf.6,7,8,9)
Furthermore it is possible to observe decorative columns with transparent embosed ,they form the passage towards the central place in "U" shape.(Graf.10)
SKETCH OF THE ICONOGRAPHY
*we observe that this found sector can be a partial sample or maybe exists a central design with some main deity. The expression of the design of the found figure proposes diverse interpretations with varied drawings having as it bases the original one.(Graf.12,Graf.13,Graf.14)
Sketch of the Iconographic hypothesis by the author with the human Scale
(Graf.15)
COROLLARY
There was a planning of the valley with one social stratification of the governing class, priests, warriors, fishermen, agriculturists, craftsmen, etc.The conservation and maintenance of the valley deppend on superficial waters(time of flood)and deep waters system using hydraulic system(puquiales) this is an optimal handling of the water giving rise to their integral development due to economic surplus reaching its apogee.
The Physical planning was consequence of the prosperity.The buildings were arranged according to the social necessities in all the territory and according to the cosmic order possibly related to the Archeoastronomy and geographic features.
Administrative constructions ,sanctuaries, health centers(Sechin alto), pyramids, military, religious constructions, kolkas(storage of food).
The aesthetic quality of the constructors, craftsmen and artists was the sample of the succes of the Lord and his court.Their works were scattered throughout the territory of the valley.The presence of the state was optimal
What draws attention is the high level of knowledge of mathematics and geometry mainly for the Architects.It is best example is the observatory of Chanquillo, its oval form result of a whole treated about curves and acute links.The design and composition was elaborated applying strokes regulators who support the anti-earthquake construction.(Graf.16)All this material is a challenge to future research comparatively others civilizations would have been brought to the same degree of mathematical and astronomical advance? (third century BC)
The buildings with their architecture reflected the character of its function;the works of the craftsmen, demonstrate the integration of the plastic arts: engraving,mural painting, sculpture,landscape treatment, ceramist,and more of first quality and originality as per the findings.
FINALLY
The State should declare a national park or reserve or protected area this Casma valley ecosystem which also has anthropological and ethnological features alive expressed in the feminine appearance.The valleys are corridors of prosperity, its restoration must be run technically as did our ancestors: water management starting with the protection and construction of more reservoirs; enough makeup of temporary cleaning of the river.
We warned that whenever we visited the valley the Archeologic monuments are in serious danger,this it is the case of magnificents carved monoliths of Sechin that are getting damage by the excess of mineral salts and the wind power erosion of environment;the heavenly landscape, the wildlife, the ways and channels.The millenarian carob trees have been turned coal ,the farmers say:"that is consequence of his poverty".The conformity and the indiference spreads in the valley, conformity of the settlers and indifference of the authorities.
It is necessary to do workings of canalization of the river's bed to recover and to extend the crop areas of the valley, since today it is occupied by the irregular channels as consecuence of the annual floods almost 80% and the remaining 20% is cropping land.Investigation studies are due to realise about the hydraulic system.It is better to invest in recovering the valley land that to invest in watering the deserts with its tragic consequences.
In order to preserve more than 500 Archeologic remnants known to the naked eye in both riversides,it is necessary to establish agreements with farmers for their care, thereby avoiding the clandestine excavations (huaqueo).
My life experience in this valley for 30 years has been allowing me to glimpse like a great tree-lined avenue or immense park of variety of landscapes.
I have known millenarian forests carob tree in the left margin near to the Astronomical observatory of Chanquillo The carob trees roots have got 30 meters long in outrageous forms(see photo's galery) that in each annual route are destroyed by the neglect and poverty of the people in this beautiful sacred valley of river Great of Casma.I had registered 52 units of millenarian carob trees until year 2002.
Galeria de fotos
It is task of Social Sciences of making a study of valley's interconnection since the fenomeno of population migration exists and has existed from ancient times, so that the future plans are formulated to the measurement of our reality and noncopies.By this way the planning will be successful and of easy application and without waste of our resources with external methodology.
These last years there is one trend from some foreign investigators followed blindly by some nationals, the one to superdetermine the proportions the intracendentes details as is the case of identifying culture MOCHE with "Human sacrifices", this insistent determinism does apology to the violence, May be necrophile Archeology? that it could have existed is not possible to be hidden the great advances of the Moches in subjects such as carving pottery,jewelry,hydraulic, the architecture and urbanism, astronomy and others that makes us feel surpassed before other universal cultures, I think we must not accept that single,the morbid thing identify us.Our ancient roots are but deep, complex and generous that formed the essence of our culture and civilization.
*Any copy or reproduction must be authorized by the author
© J.D. Ortiz de Z.
capjcabrera@hotmail.com
*ARCHITECT: JOSE DOMINGO CABRERA O.DE Z.
CAP 0304
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