Moche Civilization 1 Ce to 800 Ce
Time Period
The Moche, also known as the Mochica was a complex civilization that flourished along along the northern coast and the valleys Peru. It was in existence from 1 CE to 800 CE.
Geography
The Moche Civilization was located on the coast of Peru. This area was also very dry in climate so the Moche people had to create sophisticated dam and irrigation systems, so that their crops could flourish. Another interesting thing about these people is that they used dried sea bird droppings as a “fertilizer” for their crops. Since the conditions in these areas were not optimal for crop growth, people began to used bird droppings as fertilizer to help their crops grow. The Moche people not only lived on the coast, but they also lived in the mountainous valleys systems of Peru.
Economic systems and Social Structures
The Moche people were excellent traders, especially when it came to their intricate pottery. They conducted long distance trade with civilizations in Ecuador, Chile, and in the Andean region. Social structures were based upon who had the most resources and the most land. Much like the Chavin and the Mesoamerican societies, families who had the most resources were usually at the top of social classes. These high class citizens proclaimed that the gods made they superior and they built plazas and temples to make this ideology visible for all.
Government
The elites that were talked about in the last slide were usually the people who were in power. There were “valley lords” who governed certain areas, and the government was much like Maya city-states. Common people paid their taxes to these valley lords, and these taxes were then used to support building projects and the complex irrigation systems. People who were also part of the Moche religion were considered powerful too.
Religion
The Moche Religion was Polytheistic and their Gods were related to nature and the world around them. Some of their Gods included; Al Paec, the creator or Sky God, and Si, the Moon God. The Moche civilization was influenced by the Chavin culture's religion, and was very similar. Another large aspect of the Moche religion was human sacrifices. They often sacrificed war prisoners, and sometimes their own citizens. The Moche religion had many tombs for their dead, which included many murals and artifacts inside them, which shows how they believed in the afterlife. Women were a big part of their religion, in that they had many priestesses.
Moche Language and Writing systems
The Moche had a language but we do not know much about it because of the fact that they had no writing system.
Moche Architecture
The Moche Society had large pyramid-like structures called huacas, which their cities were built around. The huacas acted as temples, palaces, and administrative meeting places. Some of these temples include the Huaca de Sol and the Huaca de Luna. Other than these pyramids, things like cemeteries,craft workshops, and residential compounds. The “ordinary” people in this civilization lived in adobe-brick compounds with multiple other families.
Moche Art
The Moche civilization was known for their elaborate pottery and ceramics. The pottery is thought to have many different uses. There have been vessels the shape of different crops, hybrids of various animals, as well as warriors, priests, and rulers with what appear to be supernatural attributes. Scholars disagree on what the pottery was used for. They were first to be strictly for burial purposes since many tombs have been found with the vessels inside of them. But more recently there have been pots found that have been chipped and repaired, inferring that these pots were being used in everyday life. Therefore, many believe that the pottery was used for religious as well as daily purposes. The Moche were also adept metalworkers, creating intricate jewelry made of gold, silver and copper.
Artifact #1
This artifact is an example of the Moche people’s ceramics. This is a stirrup-spout bottle in the shape of a seated nobleman. It dates from between 100-300 A.D.
Artifact #2
This piece of pottery is a sacrifice scene, which was a large part of the Moche religion. In the piece, there is Wrinkle Face, a figure which is often found in Moche sacrifice scenes. Wrinkle Face holds a ceremonial knife, and there is a human figure lying beneath him.
Sources
http://archaeology.about.com/od/mterms/qt/moche.htm
http://www.ancient.eu/Moche_Civilization/
http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/315678
http://www.nmai.si.edu/searchcollections/item.aspx?irn=263778&catids=2&place=moche&src=1-3
http://www.britannica.com/topic/Moche
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/moch/hd_moch.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moche_culture