Volunteer at ancient Chan Chan

January 12, 2010

Does toiling under the hot desert sun heaving bricks up a ladder to rebuild collapsing walls interest you? What if the walls were many hundreds and hundreds of years old and part of the world’s largest adobe city, one of the largest cities of any kind in the ancient world? A city home to the rulers of the Peruvian desert coast, the Chimú imperial heart of Chan Chan. Does a couple of days of hands-on archaeology at one of the world’s most important archaeological sites interest YOU?

After the vicious attack on the Huaca Arco Iris by a group of vandals, authorities in Trujillo are seeking the immediate restarting of a program that existed that allowed volunteers to take part in the restoration of ancient Chan Chan. Under the supervision of experts, volunteers would aid in preserving and repairing the crumbling site – a momentous task considering the area it covers is as big as modern large towns and small cities.

The program aims to encourage locals to value their ancient heritage, but foreign volunteers are also more than welcome to take part. This could be an excellent chance to get your hands dirty, to take part in the restoration rather than just taking photos. It’s also a great way to learn first hand how the city was built, and get a sense of how much human labour was involved.

If you’re interested, show up at:

Unidad Ejecutora 110
Jirón Torre Tagle 178
Trujillo

or call: 295219 from Trujillo, or (044)295219 from Lima and other provinces.