Splitting up the Subcontinent into a 3-4 civs is acceptable

[Josh1Axel]

@EarningOwl85640

Population aside. Have anyone of you thought of what UU those “technological prowess” civs might have? Bulgarians have at least one cool UU - Konnik. What UU will your Chimu civ have? Not to mention that Chimu is more appropriate in Age I: Chimor - Wikipedia

The Chimú UU could be a Maceman called “Alaec” (lord of the valley)

Remember that Andes was one of the 6 cradles of civilization, for AoE 1 the Moche would be more feasible (civilization from which the Chimú descend, something like Yamato => Japan, they even used the same language), there are also many other civilizations from the Andes that would work for AoE 1 like the Chavín (who spoke Quechua).

But going back to the Chimú, they have the achievement of being a civilization that managed to subdue the desert. His hydraulic engineering works are present until today.

They also built the largest adobe city in the Americas, with a centralized layout similar to medieval European cities.

And of course, we must also highlight the metallurgy.

@xPizzaSamuraixD

The norse were still in the bronze age in the 6th century, and you call stone age savages to people who were ahead in the late bronze age at that time…
Not to mention moche (aka chimu 1.0), indians, and the chinese were the only ones in the world who could produce bronze alloys harder than 273 vickers before the industrial revolution.

It was also a Naval civilization, say the chronicles that used various types of ships, including 2-story boats made of wood and reeds.

I leave this Soviet movie about the Moche (subtitles in Spanish), you may have problems with the language but it’s worth watching.

Leyenda Mochica Animación 1/2

Leyenda Mochica Animación 2/2

Conclusion:
In South America there are civilizations that can be adapted for AoE 1 and AoE 2, Chimú is better adapted for AoE 2 due to its achievements and contact with other civilizations already present in AoE 2 (Inca, Spain)