World Prehistory S 2000 / Owen: Moche P. 1
World Prehistory S 2000 / Owen: Moche p. 1
World Prehistory: Class 20
Andes: Moche
Copyright Bruce Owen 2000
Early Intermediate Period 200 BC-500 AD
emergence of complex chiefdoms and states with obvious very high status elites in several distinct regions, with different traditions
Moche, probably the largest and most complex, which we will focus on here
Nazca, on the coast to the south
Chiripa and Pucara, leading towards the Tiwanaku state on Lake Titicaca
some, like the Moche, arose in areas that had experienced Chavín influence
others, like Nazca and, especially, the Lake Titicaca area, were not affected by Chavín at all
development of highly elaborated ceramics, metalwork, and other crafts in many wildly different styles
which is why a few archaeologists once called this the "Master craftsmen" period, although the term never stuck
generally quite different from the Early Horizon styles that preceded them
rise of sizable residential towns (formerly few)
rise of fortified settlements (as opposed to fortresses without permanent occupation)
these were clearly intended for real defense
earliest at the valley necks, where the earliest canals were built
suggests that raids might have been over control of water and canal flows
as is expected in growing agricultural societies
but many people still lived in indefensible, small hamlets, too
tensions may have been triggered by the filling up of easily irrigated farmland, and the increase in competition and need for organization of larger reclamation works (canals)
by 100 BC, Gallinazo culture in the Moche valley (to about 500 AD)
Gallinazo style mounds and pottery found all the way up to the Ecuadorian border
direct predecessors of the Moche culture
marked population growth (reached all-time highs in Virú and Santa valleys)
large areas irrigated in the fans along the valley mouths
using canals starting at the valley necks
settlements became less defensible over time, suggesting regional unification
4-level settlement hierarchy developed
prior to the Gallinazo culture, sites had all been relatively uniform-sized, modest villages
presumably similar activities carried out at each
and presumably roughly equal in power
in Gallinazo times, there were sites in a range of sizes
many small, rural settlements, as before, plus:
some larger towns (“tertiary” or 3rd-level)
a few towns that were larger yet (“secondary centers")
one huge main site in each valley (several square km, although population estimates are still only in the “several thousands”)
suggests a single, valley-wide organization in each valley
based at the largest site in each valley
drastic variations in housing, from cane-walled shanties to solid adobe
suggesting significant differences in social status and material standards of living
monumental platforms built on the slopes of and on top of natural hills
mold-made adobe bricks
surrounded by settlements of up to 3000 people
Moche, starting around 1 AD, lasting to around 600 AD
Moche may have been not so much a new "culture", but a new ideology and corresponding art style developed by elites of certain Gallinazo groups
that is, a form of propaganda or supernatural justification for their position and demands on the society
because the main difference is just in the style of decorated ceramics; the rest of life does not seem to have changed much
Cerro Blanco
the most important Moche site
Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna
separated by a large space filled with courts, residences, workshops, and cemeteries
still over a square mile in area, originally more before Spanish destroyed an unknown fraction to mine the Huaca del Sol
Huaca del Sol
originally the largest structure of solid adobes ever built in the New World
and among the three biggest mounds of any type in the New World
only a part remains, because in 1602 the Moche river was diverted to hydraulic mine it
the scant records indicate that they found royal burials with lots of gold, which they melted down
recent work also finds high-status burials with decorated ceramics and occasional small amounts of gold and copper
380 m long, 160 m wide, 40 m high (1,235 feet x 520 feet x 130 feet) (about 1/4 mile long)
estimated over 143 million adobe bricks
had complexes of rooms on top
including courts, corridors, rooms that accumulated refuse, suggesting secular use by lots of people
built of wooden poles, probably thatched roofs
some were small, elevated, and contained a “throne”
rebuilt and enlarged over most of the span of Moche culture
Huaca de la Luna
Numerous painted relief murals
Unlike Huaca del Sol, kept clean
suggesting that it had a different function
Huaca del Sol is thought to have been more administrative, with politics and business conducted there
Huaca de la Luna is thought to have been a more ritual or religious structure
Contained (at least) two high-status burials
with the same kind of copper cups that are shown with “sacrificer” figures on pots
that is, real burials that contain the exact paraphernalia that is shown in what might seem to be mythological scenes on the ceramics
an even richer one was apparently looted in nineteenth century, with numerous gilt copper masks, etc.
And an area with layers of 35-40 sacrificed bodies
neck cutting trauma, random positions, left in open air and rain
possibly the result of rituals shown on pottery and performed by the people in the high-status burials
between the two huacas, a large (500 m wide) space full of perishable residences and craft shops
this was totally covered by sand; once thought to have been an empty courtyard, as in Initial period sites
but excavation has shown that the concept of this center was completely different from the Initial period ones
the residences are said to be of three levels of quality
with the highest status people living near the ritual monument of the Huaca de la Luna
and the lowest status ones living near the secular administrative center of the Huaca del Sol
evidence of craft work
beads, raw material (lapis), and stone drills
ceramics, metalwork, maybe shell work
evidence of long-distance trade for craft materials
Spondylus shell from Ecuador
lapis from northern Chile (if correctly identified)
Numerous other Moche sites also have big adobe platform mounds, often with painted relief murals
Moche art
sophisticated but highly standardized style
clearly implies manufacture by specialists
who must have had extensive esoteric knowledge of the iconography, not to mention the technology and art of ceramic production
much as the designers of stained glass windows had to know a tremendous amount of church arcania
mold-made ceramics
sculptural vessels
many are realistic human heads, so individualized that they are taken to represent specific people
actually, a limited number of people, shown at different ages
fine-line painting on simpler shapes
often showing standard scenes, or parts of them, that apparently were rituals carried out by costumed specialists
Drastic variation in burial richness indicates extreme status differences
Ordinary burials with nothing or a few pots
Medium-status Moche burials
extended body in a cane casket
a few pots, sometimes some other goods
High-status burials
such as the "Warrior Priest"
extended body in a cane casket
surrounded by lots of pots and other goods
Extremely rich burials at numerous Moche sites
Some in platform mounds (although this does not seem to have been the principal use of the mounds)
Some in deep, underground tombs without any surface structures
Sipán “royal” burials
several separate burials
in a mud-brick platform mound
lots of copper, silver, gold, ceramics, beadwork, human and animal sacrifices
specific burials correspond to specific figures depicted on Moche pots, based on unique ornaments and paraphernalia
thought to be specific ritual roles in ceremonies, occupied by a series of people like political offices
at Sipán, there are two burials of people who played the central figure’s role
suggesting that this role was an office that was filled by a succession of people
Other sites with similar burials
Señor de Sicán, similar
at San José de Moro, one was a high-status woman, also clearly linked to a specific character on Moche pots
implications:
the scenes on Moche pots really happened, or if mythical, were reenacted in reality by the people in these tombs
these people presumably comprised a powerful ruling class, based on or supported by their religious roles
they must have commanded huge resources of skilled labor and food production to produce the things in their tombs and elsewhere
large-scale specialized production inferred, and some found at various administrative/ceremonial sites
pottery factories with molds, kilns, etc.
deep, extensive piles of reject fragments, molds, ash, etc.
copper processing and fabrication shops
special hearths for smelting ore into copper
special grinding stones for breaking up slag and extracting the droplets of copper
metalworking shops with polished stone tools for hammering sheet metal, raising designs, etc.
must have been similar gold and silver shops, although they have not been found yet
weaving centers shown on ceramics, maybe found at Pampa Grande
BIG canal systems
large, planned field complexes, some with regularly-spaced mounds thought to have been for administrative purposes
more total area was irrigated in Moche III and IV than ever again until this century (and some Moche field areas still have not been reclaimed)
i.e. production organized by, and for use of, the state/elites
but note: the big field complexes appeared no earlier than 300 AD (Moche III), well after both Gallinazo and Moche were established
agricultural works may have contributed to increasing complexity, but not to its beginning
Warfare
walls enclose some ceremonial and high-status residential districts
this could be for actual defense
or to restrict access for ritual reasons
iconography
on pots and big murals
maces, shields, battle scenes, bound prisoners being shown to an enthroned figure, sacrifices
but some suggest that the hand-to-hand battle of overdressed warriors may be ritual, not literally warfare in our sense
weapons in burials
spear throwers, spear heads, maces, decorative armor, etc.
again, mostly highly decorated, maybe more for imagery than heavy use
but defensible sites went out of use
ineffective against a standing army?
maybe the Moche state forced people abandon them, as the Inka did later?
The Moche society centered at Cerro Blanco apparently became increasing secular and militaristic
eventually probably conquering a large part of the north coast
there may have been several competing, large Moche states, or maybe they were eventually unified
but the whole society was drastically altered from around 560 to 600 AD
several decades of drought, combined with disastrous El Niño rains
lots of farmland, canals, and some sites were destroyed by floods
drought would have greatly reduced food supply
and a natural process led to sand dunes burying the capital of Cerro Blanco!
an apparent "replacement" capital at Pampa Grande featured significantly different architecture and iconography
and was burned and abandoned around 700 AD