It was no secret in the scientific community that there was an ancient culture along coastal Peru. However, finding enough artifacts to understand the people and their lifeways had been impossible due to the extensive looting of the tombs and gravesites which had taken place for many years. The primary industry in the economy of that part of Peru relies heavily upon sugarcane. When money became scarce between harvests, or in bad growing years, it was customary to pillage the tombs and pyramids which dot the area for the pre-Columbia treasurers there. These artifacts were sold to the highest bidders, and pieces that were not intact, or "good" enough to bring a high price, were broken and thrown away. The only information researchers and scientists could gather about the Moche came from the scattered remnants found in dumps. When they were lucky, a graverobber would be caught with his contraband and a few pieces would be salvaged intact. The discovery of the still sealed tomb in 1987 provided the first comprehensive study materials to that date about the Moche.

The Moche lived in the barren stretch of desert lands of northern Peru between the Andes and the Pacific, and their homeland covered some 220 miles. The size of the ruins has indicated that some villages were home to 10,000 people - and more. As with most indigenous cultures of the world, the Moche had no system of writing, and no written records. Their history and traditions were kept alive in their art, in their tools of everyday living, and in the extensive and intricate pyramids, burial mounds and tombs.

They learned to divert the flow of the rivers from the headwaters in the Andes to form intricate and lush irrigated valleys which created oasis after oasis in the arid desert. In these irrigated valleys, they grew crops such as corn, beans, squash and peanuts. Peanuts must have been one of their major crops for peanuts carved of pure gold have been found in sizes from large necklaces to intricate earrings and miniature "charms". They ate guinea pigs, llamas and fish caught from the ocean. Bones also show that, during the time of the Moche, deer was plentiful in the area. They traded their craft work and surplus food over great distances, and evidence has been found of an active trade with Ecuador and Chile.

Their artifacts are breathtaking; both for the intricacy and detail of the pieces, and for the materials used. Gold was used extensively for carving jewelry and other adornments, and for elaborate ceremonial utensils. Copper was the second metal of choice. Their creations were heavily studded with turquoise and lapis. The dead were buried fully clothed in all their splendor with masks of solid gold covering their faces. Feathered headdresses were an important part of their ceremonial attire as can be seen both in the gold carvings and in the perfect imprints left in the earth as the feathers on the headdresses of the dead slowly deteriorated and sank into the soil.

The first sealed tomb discovered was clearly that of a royal warrior. Carefully arranged around him in their own separate graves were skeletons of other humans — and even a dog. This indicates that those who served royalty (men, women and animals) were put to death and buried with their master. One mystery is the missing feet of the servants and guardians. It is surmised that their feet were cut off at burial so they could not leave their master in the afterlife, but would be bound to serve him throughout eternity. Also buried with him were his personal possessions, his finest clothing and ornaments, and his ceremonial tools and weapons.

Like the Anasazi of the desert southwest in the United States, the Moche buried their dead in layers. The discovery of this one sealed tomb has led to still more, deep in catacombs, one under the other. Again, modern science is cutting into the layer cake of ancient time in order to discover and understand the lifeways of an ancient people. I would encourage you to read more about the Moche, and to find the glorious color photographs showing their amazing cultural artifacts. 

Our site has been selected as a valuable Internet resource for Discovery Channel School's  Cities Through Time theme for spring 1997.

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E-Mail to Julia  may be sent to meyna@mindspring.com