The Moche culture was a South American society, whose sites were located along the arid coast of what is now Peru between 100 and 800 AD, and wedged between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountains.
Moche Chronology
- Cupisnique [800-200 BC]
- Salinar [~400-100 BC]
- Gallinazo [~100 BC-AD 200]
- Moche I-V [~AD 200-750] (100-200 years each)
Architectural elements of the Moche included monumental architecture such as temples (called huacas), pyramids, and palaces. They grew corn, beans, squash, avocado, guavas, chili peppers, and beans; they domesticated llamas, guinea pigs and ducks. They also fished and hunted plants and animals in the region, and traded lapis lazuli and spondylus shell objects from long distances. The Moche were expert weavers, and gold, silver, and copper metallurgists using lost wax casting and hammered sheet metal.
While the Moche did not leave a written record (they may have used the quipu recording technique that we have yet to decipher), much is known about the Moche because of their ceramic, sculptural and mural art. The most famous of the ceramic pots are those which illustrate sexual congress, but the range of ceramic sculptures and wall murals also included head portraits of specific individuals, lifelike fish and mammals, fishing and hunting scenes, ritual combat scenes, and representations of rulers and prisoners.
Moche Archaeological Sites
Moche sites include Sipán, Moche, Huaca del Sol, Huaca de la Luna, El Brujo, Pañamarca, Pacatnamu (also spelled Pakatnamu), San Jose de Moro, and Huaca de la Cruz, el Brujo complex.
Sources and Further Information
A photo essay on the recent excavations at Sipan has been constructed, which includes some detail concerning the ritual sacrifices and burials undertaken by the Moche. Also, see the article on the Warrior Narrative for information about the Moche's ritual behaviors.
The portrait pot illustrated in the figure is courtesy the Field Museum, part of their ongoing exhibit "Ancient Americas".
Christopher Donnan. Moche Portraits from Ancient Peru.
Sutter, Richard C. and Rosa J. Cortez 2005 The Nature of Moche Human Sacrifice: A Bio-Archaeological Perspective. Current Anthropology 46(4):521-550.
Weismantel, Mary 2004 Moche sex pots: Reproduction and temporality in ancient South America. American Anthropologist 106(3):495-505.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
