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Chimú Adobe Cities

Type Object Region Northern Peru Time 900–1470

Chimú adobe cities, typified by Chan Chan in northern Peru, were political and economic centers of the Chimú Empire (c.…

Timeline

  1. 900–1200Chan Chan · La Libertad RegionThe Chimú built adobe citadel-cities along the Moche Valley, using high walls to separate administrative, storage, and artisan districts, and developed irrigated agriculture and a fishing economy, making Chan Chan the largest settlement on the north coast.
  2. c. 1320–1450Tschudi Citadel · La Libertad RegionIn the 14th century the Chimú controlled a vast coastal zone of northern Peru, and the citadel complexes of Chan Chan reached their height, with adobe walls decorated with reliefs of fishing nets and birds, reflecting the maritime economy and royal symbolism.
  3. c. 1470–1600Chan Chan · La Libertad RegionAfter the Inca Empire conquered the Chimú, artisans and precious metals were relocated and Chan Chan's political functions collapsed; in the colonial period El Niño erosion and the founding of Trujillo accelerated the site's abandonment, and the adobe remains are inscribed as a World Heritage Site.

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