PERU'S MOCHE CULTURE
Think Peru. Think Moche, a society who told their story to the world through wonderful three-dimensional pottery, delicate metal work in gold, silver and copper, and fine textiles. Their enormously rich society was based on sea fishing, mining and agriculture. They ‘greened’ one of the world’s most hostile deserts, by a complex system of irrigation channels, so as to spread wide the waters flowing from the Andes to extend the natural oases which today are again confined to the borders of the major rivers. The Incas by comparison are renowned above all for their military achievements, the efficiency and speed with which they established their far-flung empire and built a ‘Roman’ road system along and across the second highest mountain range in the world. But Inca rule lasted only one hundred years before being overthrown by the even more remarkable military skills of a small band of Spaniards, operating in a wholly different environment half way across the world.
We set out to travel in Peru oblivious to the legacy of civilisations much older than the Inca’s. Luckily this ignorance was quickly revealed by a visit to the excellent Museo de la Nacion in Lima. It traces Peru’s history chronologically over tens of thousands of years from the hunter gatherers who first crossed into the Americas via the Bering Straits into Alaska and gradually made their way south to the Incas and built the famed Macchu Picchu. The important transition to the ceramic age occurred just before the birth of Christ. Their beautiful pottery was produced using moulds. They also left the finest ceremonial versions of this pottery, metal work and decorative woven textiles in the tombs of their nobles. What struck us most forcibly was the way the artistic quality declined with each succeeding culture, down to the not very inspiring pottery of the Incas. So although the indigenous races never did establish a written language they recorded so much of their culture in picture form on pottery and masonry.
Most tours follow a well-trodden circuit south of Lima. But to experience something totally different head north. To find out more we took a luxury bus to the coastal city of Trujillo, founded by the Spaniard Pizarro in 1535. It competes for the title of Peru’s second city, and like Arequipa has the pleasant feel of a refined working city, with none of the tourist hassle of Cusco. All Peruvian towns are built round a Plaza de Armas in the centre, but few can match the, colourful, colonial buildings that surround the square in Trujillo, with their elegant wrought iron window railings. The centrepiece, a monument with fine sculptures, celebrates the freeing of Trujillo from Spanish rule in 1820. Our hotel, La Almeda del Peligrino, was in a small pedestrian precinct a short walk from the plaza. Before leaving Britain we had expected to stay just one day, but, partially due to the road blockades signalling Peru’s own winter of discontent with their first truly democratic government for years, we stayed for six, and concluded we couldn’t have been stuck in a better place.
There are two major tourist attractions in the surrounding desert, the Moche site of the Huaca del Sol and the Huaca de la Luna, and the ruins of the large Chimu walled city of Chan Chan, which was built a thousand years later only to be taken over by the Incas. Being new to Peru we hired a taxi to each site and asked him to wait for several hours whilst we looked around, at an all-in cost of under £2 per hour this was hardly prohibitive. With a little more experience we would have reduced the cost to near zero by waving down one of the ‘collectivo’ minibuses instead. Huaca del Sol was plundered centuries ago by the Spanish conquistadors in their search for gold. However the pyramid of Huaca de la Luna is being excavated today. An enthusiastic young English speaking archaeologist from the local university showed us around with one other couple. We read recently that another 300 million dollars had been given to fund continuation of the work. He will have been delighted.
These Moche pyramids were built one level at a time. Every hundred years or so a level was sealed in vertically by adding a flat roof and laterally by extension of the sides, thus providing a bigger base for the next level. The resultant appearance is of huge flat roofed oblong structure matching the colour of the local sand, because it was built of Adobe (mud) bricks. (Such bricks are still hand made throughout Peru and used to self build houses.) A more important effect of the resulting encapsulation of the earlier lower level is that the beautiful exterior decorations of the walls have been preserved from the sand blasting of centuries punctuated with earthquakes and the destructive coastal flooding which results every few years from the El Nino, the effect of which is felt across the pacific from Australia to South America. It is this decoration multi level structure and the wall decoration which now being revealed.
Also recommended is a visit to the Museo Cassinelli in Trujillo. Here an almost blind old man will take a few people at a time into locked dungeons to view his lifetime collection of Moche pottery. Doubtless much was bought over the years from grave robbers, but it now has a good home. The pots are arranged in themes, animals, fish, mythical figures, gods, copulation, physical deformities, musical instruments and even abstract designs. But whatever its source, whether it is original or copy, the collection of fine pottery makes compulsive viewing.
Changing plans, on advice from fellow travellers, we carried on north by bus instead of heading straight into the Andes. There is nothing visually attractive about the city of Chiclayo, but we had been told to allow at least four nights because there was so much to see in the vicinity. In fact we spent six nights in the Inca Hotel, and when we left the friendly recepcionista gave us a doll in traditional Spanish dress, which we duly carried around Peru in a separate black plastic bag. Sipan is without doubt the jewel in the crown of the northern coast. Its newly excavated discoveries were featured in a series of articles on Moche culture in The National Geographic magazine in 1990.
It was discovered only twenty years ago when valuable artefacts started to flood onto the antiques market. They had come from grave robbers who had sunk a shaft into the tombs. Luckily expert archaeologists soon took over with the help of armed guards, and they have so far excavated three previously unopened tombs. Those of Lord Sipan and at an earlier lower level the Old Lord of Sipan were major discoveries of Egyptian proportions. We first visited the site of the tombs with an excellent, young,
English speaking guide. They are now laid out with replicas to illustrate how they appeared when first opened. Next day we visited the world-class museum of Tumbas Realas de Sipan, opened just one year ago at the nearby town of Lambayeque, where all the discoveries are displayed. This museum is built in several levels mimics the real tombs. It is entered at the top where it displays the treasures found in the tomb of Lord Sipan and you slowly work your way down, and back in time to the contents of the tomb of The Old Lord of Sipan.
This is the most important display of precious metalwork in South America. The nobles were prepared for burial being adorned with elaborate funeral masks, golden head and nose ornaments, chin decoration, ear rings, large elaborate metal necklaces, huge coral pectoral pieces, strings of stone beads, figurines, ornaments and jewellery. They were given a ritual burial with the consequential sacrificial death of wife, favourite concubine, servant and warrior, and guarded from invasion by the seated soldier at a slightly higher level.
Unlike a conventional museum it is focussed on a single theme, Sipan, and supplemented by excellent photographic evidence of the tombs as they were being excavated. All wonderfully displayed and interpreted in large easy to read textual explanations. (Unfortunately for the more general tourist industry this information is given solely in Spanish.) The excellent well established Bruning museum in the same town presents a much broader view of Peru. It too is essential viewing, but on a separate day so as to avoid losing the impression of the first mentioned. Walter Alva, the Bruning’s Director, led the excavation of Sipan.
Another day trip took us to site at Tucume, the largest sacred site in South America.
Think Peru. Think Moche, a society who told their story to the world through wonderful three-dimensional pottery, delicate metal work in gold, silver and copper, and fine textiles. Their enormously rich society was based on sea fishing, mining and agriculture. They ‘greened’ one of the world’s most hostile deserts, by a complex system of irrigation channels, so as to spread wide the waters flowing from the Andes to extend the natural oases which today are again confined to the borders of the major rivers. The Incas by comparison are renowned above all for their military achievements, the efficiency and speed with which they established their far-flung empire and built a ‘Roman’ road system along and across the second highest mountain range in the world. But Inca rule lasted only one hundred years before being overthrown by the even more remarkable military skills of a small band of Spaniards, operating in a wholly different environment half way across the world.
We set out to travel in Peru oblivious to the legacy of civilisations much older than the Inca’s. Luckily this ignorance was quickly revealed by a visit to the excellent Museo de la Nacion in Lima. It traces Peru’s history chronologically over tens of thousands of years from the hunter gatherers who first crossed into the Americas via the Bering Straits into Alaska and gradually made their way south to the Incas and built the famed Macchu Picchu. The important transition to the ceramic age occurred just before the birth of Christ. Their beautiful pottery was produced using moulds. They also left the finest ceremonial versions of this pottery, metal work and decorative woven textiles in the tombs of their nobles. What struck us most forcibly was the way the artistic quality declined with each succeeding culture, down to the not very inspiring pottery of the Incas. So although the indigenous races never did establish a written language they recorded so much of their culture in picture form on pottery and masonry.
Most tours follow a well-trodden circuit south of Lima. But to experience something totally different head north. To find out more we took a luxury bus to the coastal city of Trujillo, founded by the Spaniard Pizarro in 1535. It competes for the title of Peru’s second city, and like Arequipa has the pleasant feel of a refined working city, with none of the tourist hassle of Cusco. All Peruvian towns are built round a Plaza de Armas in the centre, but few can match the, colourful, colonial buildings that surround the square in Trujillo, with their elegant wrought iron window railings. The centrepiece, a monument with fine sculptures, celebrates the freeing of Trujillo from Spanish rule in 1820. Our hotel, La Almeda del Peligrino, was in a small pedestrian precinct a short walk from the plaza. Before leaving Britain we had expected to stay just one day, but, partially due to the road blockades signalling Peru’s own winter of discontent with their first truly democratic government for years, we stayed for six, and concluded we couldn’t have been stuck in a better place.
There are two major tourist attractions in the surrounding desert, the Moche site of the Huaca del Sol and the Huaca de la Luna, and the ruins of the large Chimu walled city of Chan Chan, which was built a thousand years later only to be taken over by the Incas. Being new to Peru we hired a taxi to each site and asked him to wait for several hours whilst we looked around, at an all-in cost of under £2 per hour this was hardly prohibitive. With a little more experience we would have reduced the cost to near zero by waving down one of the ‘collectivo’ minibuses instead. Huaca del Sol was plundered centuries ago by the Spanish conquistadors in their search for gold. However the pyramid of Huaca de la Luna is being excavated today. An enthusiastic young English speaking archaeologist from the local university showed us around with one other couple. We read recently that another 300 million dollars had been given to fund continuation of the work. He will have been delighted.
These Moche pyramids were built one level at a time. Every hundred years or so a level was sealed in vertically by adding a flat roof and laterally by extension of the sides, thus providing a bigger base for the next level. The resultant appearance is of huge flat roofed oblong structure matching the colour of the local sand, because it was built of Adobe (mud) bricks. (Such bricks are still hand made throughout Peru and used to self build houses.) A more important effect of the resulting encapsulation of the earlier lower level is that the beautiful exterior decorations of the walls have been preserved from the sand blasting of centuries punctuated with earthquakes and the destructive coastal flooding which results every few years from the El Nino, the effect of which is felt across the pacific from Australia to South America. It is this decoration multi level structure and the wall decoration which now being revealed.
Also recommended is a visit to the Museo Cassinelli in Trujillo. Here an almost blind old man will take a few people at a time into locked dungeons to view his lifetime collection of Moche pottery. Doubtless much was bought over the years from grave robbers, but it now has a good home. The pots are arranged in themes, animals, fish, mythical figures, gods, copulation, physical deformities, musical instruments and even abstract designs. But whatever its source, whether it is original or copy, the collection of fine pottery makes compulsive viewing.
Changing plans, on advice from fellow travellers, we carried on north by bus instead of heading straight into the Andes. There is nothing visually attractive about the city of Chiclayo, but we had been told to allow at least four nights because there was so much to see in the vicinity. In fact we spent six nights in the Inca Hotel, and when we left the friendly recepcionista gave us a doll in traditional Spanish dress, which we duly carried around Peru in a separate black plastic bag. Sipan is without doubt the jewel in the crown of the northern coast. Its newly excavated discoveries were featured in a series of articles on Moche culture in The National Geographic magazine in 1990.
It was discovered only twenty years ago when valuable artefacts started to flood onto the antiques market. They had come from grave robbers who had sunk a shaft into the tombs. Luckily expert archaeologists soon took over with the help of armed guards, and they have so far excavated three previously unopened tombs. Those of Lord Sipan and at an earlier lower level the Old Lord of Sipan were major discoveries of Egyptian proportions. We first visited the site of the tombs with an excellent, young,
English speaking guide. They are now laid out with replicas to illustrate how they appeared when first opened. Next day we visited the world-class museum of Tumbas Realas de Sipan, opened just one year ago at the nearby town of Lambayeque, where all the discoveries are displayed. This museum is built in several levels mimics the real tombs. It is entered at the top where it displays the treasures found in the tomb of Lord Sipan and you slowly work your way down, and back in time to the contents of the tomb of The Old Lord of Sipan.
This is the most important display of precious metalwork in South America. The nobles were prepared for burial being adorned with elaborate funeral masks, golden head and nose ornaments, chin decoration, ear rings, large elaborate metal necklaces, huge coral pectoral pieces, strings of stone beads, figurines, ornaments and jewellery. They were given a ritual burial with the consequential sacrificial death of wife, favourite concubine, servant and warrior, and guarded from invasion by the seated soldier at a slightly higher level.
Unlike a conventional museum it is focussed on a single theme, Sipan, and supplemented by excellent photographic evidence of the tombs as they were being excavated. All wonderfully displayed and interpreted in large easy to read textual explanations. (Unfortunately for the more general tourist industry this information is given solely in Spanish.) The excellent well established Bruning museum in the same town presents a much broader view of Peru. It too is essential viewing, but on a separate day so as to avoid losing the impression of the first mentioned. Walter Alva, the Bruning’s Director, led the excavation of Sipan.
Another day trip took us to site at Tucume, the largest sacred site in South America.
