Who were the Moche people of Peru?
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M$3 Answers
Gold earring from the tomb of the "Lord of Sipan".
Moche, also known as Mochica (the name of their native tongue, muchik), was the most representative culture of ancient Peru, between 200 BD to 700 AD. A very powerful military and warrior like people, they settle in the northern Pacific coast of Peru, in an area known as Valle de los Moches (Moche Valley). Historically, this period was known as Protochimú or early Chimú, but received the name Moche Culture after the archeological discoveries in 1987 by Peruvian archeologist Walter Alba and his team, in Huaca Rajada, a mausoleum considered as the "Southamerican Tutankhamen".
Initially, they were thought to be a unified culture, but later it was discovered that the Paiján desert that divided the north coast, gave origin to two Moche groups, Mochica North and Mochica South. Moches from the north had abundance of metal as the "Señor de Sipan" (Lord of Sipan) tomb suggest, whilst the Moche from the south were great ceramic sculptors, with their ceramic pottery (called Huacos) not found in the north.
Moches were proficient metallurgist of gold, silver and copper, achieved a high degree of development. Metal was used for rituals, weapons manufacturing and the production of agricultural and engineering instruments.
Moches were a Southamerican ethnic group more like the Nazcas and Incas from Peru or the Chibchas from Colombia. Other groups in Mesoamerica (a totally different region in Central America), known to have used metals are the Aztecs, Maya, Olmecs, Zapotecs and Mixtecs among others.
Gold Mask from Sipan royal tombs.
Huaco depicting a fisherman in a reed boat.
Moche distribution, Moche North and Moche South.
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M$
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M$
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