About 3 miles NE from Trujillo, built about 1100-1450 ace, this ruined seven sq mile complex was once the capital of the Chimu empire that stretched 500 miles along the Peruvian coast; very strong on agriculture with complex irrigation structures here based on the River Moche. Nine citadels in the centre contain large storehouses and cisterns as well as large plazas, residences, temples, gardens, and a cemetery. Only the aristocracy lived within these quadrangles, as evidenced by the intricate decoration adorning the walls; the friezes represent local animals, sea life, geometric shapes, and other designs. The plebeians, as ever, inhabited barrios outside of the citadel's walls.
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