Huaca de la Luna
Huaca de la Luna, translating to "Temple of the Moon," is a significant archaeological site located in the Moche Valley of Peru, integral to the Moche civilization. This complex, along with its counterpart Huaca del Sol, served as the civic-ceremonial center of the region, particularly between 300 and 600 CE. Standing over 82 feet tall, Huaca de la Luna is characterized by its intricate layout of platforms, enclosures, and chambers, spanning approximately 951 by 689 feet. The site showcases multiple phases of construction, reflecting its adaptive use over time, particularly in response to environmental challenges such as El Niño rains.
Culturally, Huaca de la Luna is deeply linked to religious and funerary practices, featuring striking polychrome relief murals that depict Moche deities, rituals, and the ideology of rulership. Evidence of human sacrifice, including the remains of mature males with signs of trauma, indicates that these rituals were a part of the ceremonial life at the site. The presence of "maker's marks" on adobe bricks highlights communal labor and contributions from various groups within Moche society. Overall, Huaca de la Luna stands as a testament to the spiritual and political complexity of the Moche civilization, inviting further exploration into its historical and cultural significance.
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Huaca de la Luna
Related civilization: Moche culture.
Date: c. 100-700 c.e.
Locale: Cerro Blanco site, Moche Valley, Peru
Huaca de la Luna
The Huaca de la Luna (WAH-kah deh lah LEW-nah; temple of the Moon) complex, together with Huaca del Sol (temple of the Sun), made up the civic-ceremonial core of the Cerro Blanco site, the capital of the Moche Valley-based kingdom. Once perceived as a royal palace, the complex probably served mainly religious and funerary functions.
Despite earlier and later occupations, Huaca de la Luna reached preeminence between about 300 and 600 c.e. The complex stands more than 82 feet (25 meters) tall at the base of a small mountain and consists of a series of platforms, enclosures, chambers, and ramps in a quadrangular ground plan measuring 951 by 689 feet (290 by 210 meters).
The complex developed through multiple construction stages, both renovations after destructive El Niño rains and periodic ceremonial undertakings. Wall segments with adobe bricks bearing “maker’s marks” suggest labor contributions from different corporate groups under Moche control. New construction phases built over older architecture and included elite tombs as parts of fill.
Human sacrifice was practiced: One enclosure yielded multiple skeletons of mature males, probably captive warriors, that revealed indications of disabling trauma, slashed throats, and deliberate mutilation. The ceremonial activities articulated vividly in a series of spectacular polychrome relief murals adorning interior courts and chambers stress Moche divinities, rulership ideology, ritual warfare, and sacrifice.
Bibliography
Bawden, Garth. The Moche. Cambridge, England: Blackwell, 1996.
Donnan, Christopher B. Moche Occupation of the Santa Valley, Peru. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1973.