Peru: Chan Chan Archeological Site

Chan Chan is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed archaeological site north of Trujillo. It was the capital city of the Chimu Empire between 850–1470 AD. It is the largest earthen (adobe) city in the world and the largest city in pre-Colombian South America. Built almost entirely from adobe bricks and mud, its walls are richly decorated with stunning, detailed mud-relief carvings. Chan Chan was a massive, highly organized city covering about 20 sq km. The city’s center is composed of nine large, rectangular walled complexes (citadels or palaces). Each is had been built for and occupied by a Chimu ruler during his lifetime, and upon his death, it became his monumental tomb. The Chimu civilization was a powerful state that dominated the Peruvian northern coast for centuries before being conquered by the expanding Inca Empire around 1470 AD. Their economy was based on sophisticated irrigation systems that allowed agriculture to thrive in the desert coastal region, as well as extensive fishing and crafting.