The Chimú built the kingdom of Chimor on the north coast of Peru, with its capital at Chan Chan near present-day Trujillo, the largest adobe city in the Americas. They succeeded the Moche culture and extended irrigation canals through the coastal valleys to sustain agriculture, and they were known for fine metalwork, textiles and ceramics. Chimú society was strongly hierarchical, with rulers who were buried with rich offerings, and the kingdom had a highly organised bureaucracy. In about 1470 the Inca emperor Topa Inca Yupanqui conquered Chimor, and Chimú craftsmen were moved to the Inca capital Cusco. Chan Chan is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Before and after
- 11th centuryConstruction of Daphni Monastery
- 11th centuryOrigins of Shah-i-Zinda
- 11th centuryRise of House of Hohenzollern
- 11th centuryConstruction of Burana Tower
- from 1100 to 1470Chimú culture
- c. 1100sThe magnetic compass is used for navigation at sea
- from c. 1100s to 1450sGreat Zimbabwe rises
- 12th centuryConstruction of Basilica of Saint-Denis
- 12th centuryConstruction of Urnes Stave Church
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The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 11th century.