Definition of Mochica Culture

In the north of the coast of Peru and near the Andean mountain range the territory it is especially arid and dry. This place was inhabited by the Mochica or Moche people between the 1st and 5th centuries AD. C. The influence of its inhabitants extended to present-day Ecuador to the north and to the Huarmey Valley to the south. In the territory they occupied we can find remains of an outpost civilization.

Architecture and technology

From an architectural point of view, the pyramids, palaces and temples stand out, as well as fortifications and infrastructures for the distribution of water. It was a very diverse society, as there were farmers, fishermen, artisans and warriors.

This people had a great command over metals. They used copper to make ornaments, weapons and utensils for everyday life. In the goldsmith workshops the artisans made all kinds of decorative pieces. To work metal, they prepared the furnaces with small crushed stones and the fire was stoked with cane blowers that allowed it to reach high temperatures. They knew how to weld metals with advanced techniques that never cease to amaze researchers.

Beliefs and customs

The Moche leaders were considered to be true demigods and, in fact, you could not look them in the eye. When the people gathered in the temples, the priests spread cinnabar (mercury sulfate) so that the highest ruler would not touch the ground directly. On the other hand, the leader of the community was adorned with pieces of gold and silver, two elements that represented the Sun and the Moon.

Below the ruler were the religious authorities and in a scale lower were the military chiefs and nobles.

From a military point of view, the Mochicas had a unique weapon: a mace of wood lined with copper with an approximate weight of 5 kilos. They also used spears and knives that were projected by means of stolines.

The kids Mochicas performed different rituals to prove their worth as future warriors. At the end of adolescence a race ritual and the victor became a member of the ruler's personal guard.

They did not have a system of writing, but despite this they left a record of daily life in the drawings they made on the ceramic pieces. These remains have been decisive for researchers to learn about this ancient Andean culture.

They had a habit of painting their faces and bodies. In this way the settlers expressed their status social status or membership of a particular clan.

The mochicas were great artists

Pottery for domestic use was very simple and with little decoration. They did not use the typical ceramic kiln, since the pieces were made with the hands and with pallets. On the other hand, the ornamental and ritual use pieces were made with a system of molds (first the clay, then it was distributed inside the mold and when the piece was already dry it was extracted and decorated with pigments).

Among the remains of ceramics that have been found stand out the figures humans and animals, as well as anthropomorphic deities and erotic scenes. The Mochicas were also great sculptors and painters.

Fotolia photos: Matyas Rehak / GioRez