Chincha Kingdom

Chincha Kingdom Latest News

New archaeological evidence reveals that seabird guano – nutrient-rich bird droppings – may have been a major factor in the rise of Peru’s precolonial Chincha Kingdom.

About Chincha Kingdom

• The ‘Chincha Kingdom,’ which was established in the coastal region of modern-day Peru, was a powerful ancient state that flourished before the rise of the Inca Empire.
• It ruled the Chincha Valley, about 130 miles south of Lima (capital of Peru).
• The Chincha Kingdom and its culture were very strong between 900 CE and 1450 CE.  This time is known as the Late Intermediate Period in pre-Columbian Peru.
• It was a large-scale society comprising an estimated 100,000 people. 
• It was organised into specialist communities such as fisherfolk, farmers, and merchants. 
• The Chinchas did not build enormous cities but left important marks in their religious and administrative constructions. 
• Their temples, palaces, and fortresses were built mainly with adobe, a technique they mastered skillfully. 
• They applied stucco to decorate walls, shaping figures of fish heads, gannets, and seabirds. 
• The dwellings of most of their inhabitants were built around these enclosures, made with mats and reeds.
• An important old ruin linked to the Chincha is La Centinela, found near the city of Chincha Alta.
• Decline:
  • Conquered by the Inca Empire around 1476 CE.
  • Later affected by Spanish conquest in the 16th century.
    The population drastically declined due to diseases and colonization.
• A new analysis suggests that the secret to the Chincha Kingdom’s prosperity was seabird droppings (guano). 
  • The analysis indicates that the nutrient-rich droppings, high in nitrogen, acted as a fertilizer, increasing corn yields and significantly contributing to the economic development of the time.

Source: EA

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