The Chimú

The Chimú culture was an indigenous civilization developed on the northern coast of Peru, centered on Chan Chan, an adobe citadel considered one of the largest on the planet. They developed between the 12th and 15th centuries, after the Huari Empire weakened, excelling in agriculture, navigation, and metallurgy. Around 1470, the Incas conquered their strong culture and vast empire, which led to its total disintegration with the arrival of epidemics and the Spanish. Geographical Location and Capital: The Chimú settled on the northern coast of Peru, where there was desert, in the river valleys that made agriculture possible. Chan Chan, a huge adobe city with winding streets, was the capital. Society and Organization: They had a stratified society, ruled by a king. Economy: Agriculture (cotton, corn, squash) and fishing were the foundation of their economy. They used boats made of logs and reeds for their economic activities, making them great navigators. They excelled in metallurgy, making ceremonial objects and jewelry from silver, gold, and other metals. Religion and Culture: They are known for their monochromatic pottery, which is usually black and features figures of people and animals. Adobe was the material most commonly used in their architecture. They were polytheistic, worshipping the moon as their main deity, in addition to the sea and the sun. End of the Empire: The Inca Empire conquered them in the 15th century. The arrival of the Spanish and the plagues drastically reduced their population, which was caused by the epidemics brought by the Spanish.