Mochica Culture

The Mochica culture developed along the northern coast of Peru around the years 200 and 900 AD. Growing and falling long before the Inca Empire, the culture did not leave any type of written records, and the first Spanish settlers were the ones who they related the cultures of Peru, among which they found the Chimú in what had previously been Moche territory. The Moche are an excellent example of how archaeologists and art historians use scientific methods for data collection and evaluation to understand ancient non-literate cultures.

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Mochica society was prominent in the coastal desert of northern Peru between the 1st and 8th centuries BC, in valleys irrigated by rivers that flow west from the Andes to the Pacific Ocean . The Moche were great innovators at the political, ideological and artistic levels. They developed a powerful elite and specialized artisan production, and instituted labor tribute payments. They developed new technologies in metallurgy, pottery, and textile production, and eventually created an elaborate ideological system and complex religious iconography.

Characteristics of the Mochica culture

Some of the most notable characteristics of the Mochica culture are:

• Mochica potters produced a great variety of exquisitely decorated vessels .
• Their society was quite marked and was formed by the Cie-Quich who was the king, the kings of towns, priests, and the people and slaves.
• Their main God was known as Aia-Paec.
• The language they spoke to each other was muchic .
• Its capital was located in the valley of Moche .
• They are considered the best potters in America Pro-Inca .
• His ceramics were very expressive .
• They used a variety of colors , such as red, brown, white, and cream.
• They used adobe in their constructions, and their buildings were pyramidal in shape .
• They built boats , nets, hooks, and harpoons.

Religion

The Mochicas were polytheists , that is, they had different gods. In addition, they were pantheists , since they firmly believed that the universe , nature and God were the same thing. Its main god was Aia-Paec , or the Maker and was represented with a spider , symbolizing the earth, water and air. He was also known as the punishing god and was the most feared, obeyed and worshiped by the people. The secondary god of the Mochicas was the god Sin or the moon god , they even made some human sacrifices for them.

Agriculture of the Mochica culture

The Mochica economy was based on agriculture and its branches. Thanks to their impressive techniques in agriculture and the construction of irrigation canals , they managed to increase their crops, generating greater benefits for their people. These channels are currently located in the valleys of Chicama . They planted according to what they needed and among their main crops were corn, beans, potatoes, squash, and peanuts. They also planted fruit trees .

Cultural manifestations

The main cultural manifestations of the Mochica culture were the following:

• The Murals : They were on the walls of the great ceremony centers . His paintings and murals are characterized by a religious sense , since they represent characters from this area. Two of the main places where the murals are are: the Huaca de la Luna and El Brujo . His most recognized mural is that of the Moon, which represents a demon with prominent eyebrows.
• The Orfebrería and Metallurgy : They were great goldsmiths ; They used gold, silver, copper and their alloys to carry out great works such as the tumbaga , which was a mixture of gold and copper. They melted the metals in furnaces and when it was cold they were in charge of forming sheets that were later embossed to create their designs. They made needles, hooks, earmuffs, and rattles .
• The Ceramics : It was their way of fundamental expression . The artisans were dedicated to making objects that were for ceremonial and domestic use . These objects were offered to the dead and to the gods in order to worship them, and that is why they were made with the best materials, giving them the best finish. They made bottles with handles and stirrups, and used colors like ocher and cream . His art was merely naturalistic and that is why the huacos decorated with different daily activities, animals, plants and military stood out.

Social organization of the Mochica culture

Being an extremely large culture, the Mochica people had a complex organization called theocratic . Administratively it was divided into two large regions that are in constant interaction, the political administration , worship and religion had strong ties. Every governor that existed was also a priest or represented the religious power. The monuments that were built were elaborated for the administrative , religious and governmental aspects . They had three types of tombs according to their social structure: the elite tombthat it was for the rulers, decorated with ceramics and metal; the common graves , which were for administrators and artisans who worked for the government; and simple burials , with little decoration and that were destined for farmers and fishermen.

Economy

As for the economy, they dedicated themselves to fishing using artisan rafts , with harpoons and hooks; and agriculture by using channels of irrigation for food crops such as cassava, cucumber, corn, lúcuma, pumpkin, etc. They worked with livestock and dedicated themselves to domesticate animals . They also collected mollusks , such as land and sea snails, shells and algae, lobsters and crustaceans that they later consumed and sold.

Location of the Mochica culture

It is known for sure today that the Mochica culture was established on the northern coast of Peru , mainly between the Lambayeque and Huarmey valleys . As a cultural center they had the Moche and Virú valley, located near Trujillo.