The Chimú Disks, no doubt, are magnificent. For contemporary art lovers it seems perfectly reasonable to accept such disks as purely artistic, or decorative in nature even if religiously related.

Interpreting the Chimú Disk at the Cleveland Museum of Art [# 2019.166] as an instrument, and suggesting its essential functions are almost self-explanatory by implementing the TLVIV Phenotype Analyses method. This conclusion should also be valid for similar disks; see, for example, artifact No.1978.412.144 at the Met Museum.

Employing the TLVIV phenotype analysis method, it took less than 5 minutes to identify and verify that The Chimú disk is an analog dates calculator designed to follow and convert dates between different counting cycles: 262, 131, 52, 20+1, 10+1, 5, and 2.5.

This publication provides the necessary information for the basic operation of the particular Chimú Disk at the Cleveland Museum of Art. However, with slight variations, it is possible to implement the principles described herein on other disks that share a similar visual language.

 

 

Manual for the Chimú Disk at the Cleveland Museum of Art  [# 2019.166]

 

 

 Illustration A

 

 

1) Band I: 262 days, arranged in pairs of 131 S shapes, divided into 52 segments.

 

 

Illustration 1.0

 

As mentioned above, the Chimu Disk's outer band consists of 52 figures. It is tempting to assume a conventional solar year of 52 weeks, attributing an average of 7 days per figure (52X7=364). However, inside the up and down curved pattern, there are 131 small "S shapes". Counting the number of S shapes on a wavelength, meaning between two peaks of the curved pattern, leads to the conclusion that each S shape represents two days. Hence 131 S shapes constitute 262 days. The 131 S shapes are spread relatively evenly along the 52 segments of the curved pattern.

 

Illustration 1.1

 

Counting the number of S shapes in a wavelength, or in other words, the number of S shapes between two peaks generates 5 S shapes, or in other words, 2.5 S shapes per figure (131/52=~2.5).

 

 

Illustration 1.2

 

Illustrated above is a typical “wavelength”, or distance between two peaks, of 5 S shapes. Notice that, on average, each figure is associated with only half of the 5 S shapes. On average, each 2.5 S shapes figure represents five days and should be counted as such unless otherwise instructed by the number of S shapes.

 

 Illustration 1.3

 

 

Illustrated above is the typical distribution of 2.5 S shapes = 5 days per one figure of the 52 icons.

 

2) Band II: 20+1 based cycle.

The second band, counting from the outside in, consists of twenty-one figures. Nineteen figures of this band are placed in between two “snakes”. The “snakes” function like modern-day direction arrows. The “snakes” point to the curved shape allocating the number of S shapes for each figure. The narrowest figure is unique not only because of the small number of S shapes (4.5) but also because it lacks a separating “snake”. All other figures are arranged in a series of a wide figure followed by a “snake” followed by a slim figure.

 Illustration 2.0

Illustrated above from left to right is a sequence of a wide figure, followed by a “snake”, followed by a slim figure, followed by a snake. This sequence runs throughout the second band except when getting to the narrowest figure, marked above in red, and by an ellipse in previous illustrations.
Bounded by two “snakes”, the wide figure equals 7.5 S shapes or 15 days. The respective “snakes” for the slimmer figure allocate10 days. Hence a typical sequence of a wide figure and a slim figure, on average, equals ~25 days. Eventually, the narrowest figure, though lacking one “snake” is associated with 4.5 S shapes that constitute nine days. The adjunct-wide figure adds 11 days. Both figures, the slimmest figure and its adjunct wide figure together, are bounded by two snakes that allocate 20 days, five days short of 25.

 

 

 

3) Band III: The Astronomy Band

The third band depicts the position of celestial elements relative to the moon. The accurate identification of the planets, stars, and constellations should explain the choice of a 262 days cycle along with further information about the geographical origin of the design and its approximate date of birth.

 

4) Band IV: 10 +1 based cycle

 

a)

The triangle sequence allows highly accurate slicing of the disk and its bands by selected days, dates, or times, needing nothing more than a thread of textile, or a thin ruler, such as a fresh branch of wood.

 

 

 Illustration 4.0

 b)

The smallest sector represents 7.5 S shapes meaning 15 days adjunct to a 21 days sector. Subtracting these irregular sectors (15+21) from 262 gives 226 days, dividing 226 by the 9 remaining segments gives 25.111.... However, the number of days should be read as instructed by the S shapes.

 

 

5) The Inner Circle:

Based on previous TLVIV Phenotype Analysis works, such as ancient scepters, it is suggested that the inner circle is designed to reflect the moon for purposes such as lunar measurements. This hypothesis is supported by the location of tiny holes that, together with textile threads enable accurate phase and size measurements of lunar reflection.
Not only the reflection of the moon but, more importantly, the ability of skilled operators to predict, by using this disk, lunar appearances such as phase and size on a given date are assumed to endow the disk with magic.

 

 

Part Two: Dumbarton Oaks Chimú Disk enigma 

 

Citation Information: 

Solving The Chimú Disk Enigma, TLVIV Art Port, June 2021,  https://tlviv.com/blogs. 

 

V.1 Published June 13, 2021.
V.2 June 16, 2021 -Proofreading
V.3 June 22, 2021 - adding an important illustration Illustration A, and fixing illustation 1.1 to (was 130 S shapes changed to:131 S shapes)
V.4 July 12, 2021 - a link to Part Two was added.
V. 5 June 20, 2022 (Proofs)