MOCHICA CULTURE

Between 100 and 800 B.C., it was develop the most important pre-inca culture of the northern area of Peru, and one of the most important also in the pre-hispanic culture: The Mochica.

Cultural Influence
It is obvious, mainly in the pottery, the influence of prior cultures such as Virú, but there are signs of an early Mochica style. The finds in a place called "Two Heads" show this.

Irrigation System
Considering the vast territory and the dominion over the taken towns the Mochica had an adequate management of their environment and also exploit the resources of their territory and the appropriation of important valleys, ensure the provision of food and raw material to fortify their society and enlarge its agriculture through great irrigation constructions.

Politic Organization
A culture as big and diversify as the Mochica must had a complex political organization. The early reorganization of the township in the conquest valleys in the south, for example, can only correspond to a preconceived plan whose execution shows coordination level and also the social cohesion rare for that period.

Administratively, the Mochica territory was divided in, at least, two great regions; both interacted with which each other. As in other cultures, the politic administration, the cult, and the religion were strongly bound, insomuch every governor was also a priest or a religious authority. In fact, the famous Lord of Sipan had this double power.

Actually, the monuments of the period had a triple function: administrative, religious and government center.

The Lord of Sipan
1,600 years ago, a young dignitary was buried. His body was cover with several ornaments, weapons, and gold, silver and gold copper emblems. His head was pointing the south. In the royal mausoleum, there were also guardians, a boy, three women, two men -in the sides- two llamas and a dog.

During April 1987, the Peruvian archeologist Walter Alva and his team founded the rests of the township of Sipan, near Chiclayo city. During the cleaning works, they also found 209 pieces of pottery, most of them offered as oblation.

Later, it was discovered two more chambers: the tomb of a priest of the same period of time of the Lord of Sipan , and also the tomb of the Old Lord of Sipan, this last was older than the first two.

Mochica Society
The study of the different classes of buries and the quality and quantity of the oblations shows that this culture had a well defined a social structure. There are 3 types of tombs:

For the governing elite: Decorated tombs with pottery and metal objects, mostly from gold and copper like Sipan.

Common Tombs: With a limited quantity of metal objects and pottery, these may belong to the managers and artisans of the governing elite.

Simple Buries: With a very limited decoration. According to the investigations they could be from farmers and fish men, which conforms the producers of the area.

Religious Sacrifices
One of the most important aspects of the Mochica religion was the human sacrifices. It was a complex ritual in which the warriors killed prisoners, and the blood were offered by a priestess to the Owl god, the most important. This should be the most important ritual.

Mochica Art
This art reveals a pure shape and design. The Mochica artisans were the creators of a very special style, very complex, expressed through the metallurgy, mural paintings, wood sculptures, and specially pottery.

Pottery
The most impressive artistic manifestation because the creativity and aesthetic sense.
Along their history the Mochica's ceramists made three dimensional deities, human beings, animals and plants. But maybe, the "Huaco Portrait" was where they reached the highest skills.