Weaving for the Lords of Chimor: The role of cloth Production in Chimu political economy

Chan Chan, the capital city of the Kingdom of Chimor located on the coast of Peru, offers an excellent opportunity to study the process of weaving in the context of ancient political economy. This study integrates archaeological data, ethnohistoric and ethnographic information, and modern weaving calculations in order to better understand the role of textiles recovered from Chan Chan, by reconstructing the amount of time and materials needed to produce a male Chimu Garment set. In order to understand and quantify textile production at Chan Chan, a holistic perspective is used that integrates information about procurement and preparation of raw materials, the complexity of weaves, the individuals who were taking part in textile production within Chan Chan and the impact of other activities, such as domestic duties, on the time devoted to craft production. A labour estimate will be calculated by using the textile data from two textile collections recovered from Chan Chan and applying modern weaving calculations, including warp and weft calculations and the English Cotton Fixed Weight System, in order to quantify both the amounts of materials and the time needed to process the materials. Together, these two approaches extend the boundaries of the study of textiles and offer a new perspective in our understanding of an integral aspect of Chimu political economy.;Key words: Craft Production, textile production, reciprocity, Craft Economy, Political economy, The Kingdom of Chimor, Chimu, Chan Chan, warp and weft calculations, English Cotton Fixed Weight System, weaving, spinning, processing, artisan...