Chimú

Chimú, Native American people, whose kingdom in what is now Peru flourished from the 12th to the 15th century. At its greatest extent, their state controlled much of the coastal area of northern Peru. The Chimú economy was agricultural and depended on an elaborate system of irrigation. Their capital, Chan Chan, near the present city of Trujillo, covered more than 20 sq km (7.7 sq mi) and was surrounded by a wall 9 m (30 ft) high. Its well-preserved ruins are among the most important archaeological remains in Peru. According to 16th-century Spanish chroniclers, there were nine monarchs in the Chimú dynasty. The last of them, Minchançaman, was defeated by the Incas, who conquered the Chimú Empire about 1470. The Chimú continued the artistic traditions of the earlier Moche (Mochica) culture and passed them on to the Incas.