Although they did not practice a system of writing, Moche fineline art was rendered in a realistic style, offering insight into Pre-Columbian daily life, narrative myth, and ritual tradition.
For what 3 things were the Moche people best known?
The Moche are particularly noted for their elaborately painted ceramics, gold work, monumental constructions (huacas), and irrigation systems.
What are three characteristics of the Moche people?
2. Name three characteristics of the Moche people. The Moche people were wealthy, advanced in agriculture, and advanced in arts. The Moche people would put gold, silver, and jewels in the tombs of the dead.
What is the Moche social structure?
The Moche were less of a state or empire and more of a society—they lived in a general geographic area and shared cultural values, but were not governed under a uniform political system. The Moche practiced a number of religious rituals, some of which involved human sacrifice.
What kind of civilization was the Moche?
Andean civilization
Moche, also called Mochica, Andean civilization that flourished from the 1st to the 8th century ce on the northern coast of what is now Peru. The name is taken from the great site of Moche, in the river valley of the same name, which appears to have been the capital or chief city of the Moche peoples.
What language did Moche speak?
Language. The Moche civilization spoke two distinct languages. North of the Lambayeque Valley, the people spoke the Muchik or Mochica language. Through the rest of their territory to the south, they spoke the Quingan language.
What is the significance of Moche?
The Moche were innovators on many political, ideological, and artistic levels. They developed a powerful elite and specialized craft production, and instituted labor tribute payments.
What religion did the Moche follow?
polytheistic
The Moche were polytheistic , or had many gods. The most powerful god in their religion was Si, the moon goddess . Since the moon was always visible, and controlled the seasons, Si was the most powerful god. In Moche religion, women could have an important role.
How did the Moche end?
The two-chambered complex would have held Moche ceremonies. But then, around A.D. 700, the society mysteriously disappeared. Some scientists say it was destroyed by catastrophic El Niño flooding, which still douses the region today.
How did the Moche fall?
In c. 550 CE the Moche canal systems and agricultural fields became covered in sand (blown inland from the coast where it had been deposited by erosive flooding from the valleys), and the population left the area, resettling further north in the Lambayeque Valley, notably at the sites of Sipán and Pampa Grande.
Why did Moche sacrifice?
There were two kinds of Moche rituals, that is, sacrifices as offerings to divinities and as exemplary punishments. Methods of sacrifice included slitting victims’ throats, dismembering them and throwing them off mountains.
Who did Moche sacrifice?
In most Moche funerary contexts, the sacrificed victims were female, but the identity of the sacrificed females and their relationship to the principal male remains unknown. Examples of this type include females sacrificed and buried with a high-ranking principal burial at Huaca de la Cruz (Millaire 2004:376).
What did the Moche create?
The Moche created monumental ritual temples, expansive irrigation systems, and a prolific art tradition that found expression in various media, including painted and molded ceramic vessels.
Did the Moche build pyramids?
The Huaca del Sol is an adobe brick pyramid built by the Moche civilization (100 AD to 800 AD) on the northern coast of what is now Peru. The pyramid is one of several ruins found near the volcanic peak of Cerro Blanco, in the coastal desert near Trujillo at the Moche Valley.
What did gold symbolize in Moche?
The joining of these two metals is one of the signature features of Moche metalworking, and it had cosmological and political significance. Sixteenth-century sources reveal that gold was associated with the sun, and silver with the moon in the Pre-Columbian world.
What was the Moche economy based on?
The Moche economy was a well-oiled machine. The Moche presided over an empire that was extremely rich in natural resources. Their artisan class thrived due to the mineral wealth the civilization enjoyed, and these artisans created works of art that rival any of the native tribes of South America.
When was the Moche dominant?
The regional Moche culture was dominant on the north coast of Peru from the 1st to the 8th century. This culture, known by the name of a river on the north coast of Peru, was the first state in the Andes.
How did the Moche fall?
In c. 550 CE the Moche canal systems and agricultural fields became covered in sand (blown inland from the coast where it had been deposited by erosive flooding from the valleys), and the population left the area, resettling further north in the Lambayeque Valley, notably at the sites of Sipán and Pampa Grande.
Who did Moche sacrifice?
In most Moche funerary contexts, the sacrificed victims were female, but the identity of the sacrificed females and their relationship to the principal male remains unknown. Examples of this type include females sacrificed and buried with a high-ranking principal burial at Huaca de la Cruz (Millaire 2004:376).