What type of government did the Moche civilization have?
They had a hierarchical government and social structure. At the top were the royal family and warrior priests, who made most of the government decisions and controlled the Moche religion, which relied on human sacrifice. Warrior priests presided over religious ceremonies and conquered foes for blood rituals to gods.
What are the Moche known for?
The Moche are well known for their art, especially their naturalistic and articulate ceramics, particularly in the form of stirrup-spout vessels. The ceramics incorporate a wide-ranging subject matter, both in shape and painted decorations, including representations of people, animals, and ritual scenes.
What was the Moche economy and trade like?
So, what trade the Moche did engage in was largely to exchange works of art, weapons, and other goods. The Moche were master craftsmen and created elaborate ceramic sculpture and other artwork. They had large quantities of gold and silver and Moche artisans worked well in these mediums.
Did the Moche build pyramids?
The Moche also were skilled metalworkers who in their jewelry used chemical means to electroplate gold and silver. Moche architecture featured flat-topped pyramids and platforms connected by ramps and dotted with courtyards and plazas.
What religion did the Moche practice?
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.
What was the purpose of the Moche culture vessels?
Vessels decorated with religious themes were not merely indicators of social status at the site of Moche. They were strategically used at a household level, as tools to further political ambitions and communicate membership within groups.
What type of houses did the Moche live in?
The huacas had pyramid-like structures with multiple levels, access ramps, stairs, connecting plazas and sometimes sections with slanted roofs. And sometimes, the Moche built new huacas on top of old ones, filling in older structures with brick to form flattened platforms on which new buildings were erected.
Did the Moche have slaves?
The artists and craftsmen were the next more important people to the Moche, then the farmers and fishermen. Finally, the culture held servants, slaves, and beggars as the lowest of people. Moche burials have been found as well, and the type of burial depends on the position that the dead had held in life.
What were stirrup spout vessels used for?
Stirrup spout vessels have provided archaeologists with much insight into Moche society by conveying important aspects of their culture such as social hierarchy, themes of sexuality, and even depictions of ceremonies such as human torture and sacrifices.
What is a Moche ear spool?
Ear Ornament, Winged Runner A.D. 400–700. Often called earspools, the frontals of these ornaments were attached to long tubular shafts that would have been inserted through the stretched earlobes of a high-status individual, a conspicuous display of the wearer’s power and position.
What was Moche religion?
Moche culture
| Moche culture Moche | |
|---|---|
| Status | Culturally united independent polities |
| Capital | Moche |
| Common languages | Mochica |
| Religion | Polytheist |