HUACA DEL SOL

The Huaca del Sol is an adobe brick temple built by the Moche civilization on the coast of Peru. By 450 AD, eight different stages of construction had been completed on the Huaca del Sol. The construction of the temple was additive; new layers of brick were laid directly on top of the old; hence large quantities of bricks were required for its construction. It has been estimated by archaeologists that the Huaca del Sol was composed of over 100 million adobe bricks and was the largest pre-Columbian adobe structure built in the Americas. The number of different maker's marks on the bricks suggests that over a hundred different communities contributed bricks to the construction of the Huacas.

During the Spanish occupation of Peru in the early 17th century, the waters of the Moche River were redirected to run past the base of the Huaca del Sol in order to facilitate the recovery of gold artifacts from the temple. The creation of this hydraulic mine greatly damaged the Huaca del Sol, and it is estimated that approximately two-thirds of the structure has been lost to erosion and looting. The remaining structure stands at a height of 41 meters (135 feet). It is believed to have originally been of about 50 meters height.

Best tour including a Huaca de la Luna visit:

• Northern & Southern Kingdoms - 27 days.
• Total Peru - 22 days.

More information:

• Mochica culture (newsletter article).
• Temples of Sun & Moon (newsletter article)