The Moche culture, flourishing in ancient Peru between 100 and 800 CE, is renowned for its sophisticated irrigation systems, artistic expressions, and monumental constructions. Located on the northern coast, the Moche developed complex societies in arid environments, building advanced irrigation canals and creating intricate art, including pottery and metalwork. Their culture also involved ritualistic practices, including human sacrifice, and a belief in a deity known as the Decapitator God. The site of Loma Negra is located in Peru‘s upper Piura Valley, 2.5 km east of kilometer 972 North on the Pan American highway. In 1969 looters located the cemetery at Loma Negra (Lechtman et al. 1982). Hundreds of Moche or Vicús metal artefacts were looted from an undetermined number of deep shaft tombs (Shimada 1994: 75). The cultural attribution of these objects is controversial to some degree. They have been attributed to the Vicús Culture, the Moche Culture, or some sort of combination of the two. Due to the looted nature of the corpus, little can be determined about Moche/Vicús interaction in the Loma Negra region.

Hand Mirror
gilt copper, stone
Mochica
Loma Negra - Piura
(500 a.C. - 500 d.C.)

#arqueologia #moche #peru #ancientperu #mochica #lomanegra #piura #ancientart #art #precolumbian #prehispanic #handmirror