Using advanced LiDAR technology, a team of international researchers has uncovered a sprawling urban grid belonging to the Chimú civilization hidden beneath the sands of Peru's Moche Valley. The newly mapped area covers over 15 square kilometers and includes previously unknown residential districts, plazas, and a sophisticated network of canals that diverted water from high-altitude springs.
This discovery suggests that the Chimú state was far more populous and technologically integrated than previously believed before its conquest by the Incan Empire. The precise layout of the city indicates a high degree of centralized planning focused on large-scale agricultural output in a hyper-arid environment.