Maya Indians are not the only ones who erected grandiose pyramids in pre-Columbian America. Although it is with their structures scattered throughout the Yucatan that most tourists and people interested in the history of the Indians are familiar. In South America, there are the ruins of two pyramids belonging to the Moche culture, which, judging by the base, were larger than most of the Maya creations.
Trujillo city in Peru - the region of concentration of the ancient settlements of the Moche culture.
Before the great Inca Empire arose in the highland Andes, many tribes lived in this territory, some of which had a fairly high level of development and left to their descendants many cultural artifacts and architectural monuments. This is the famous Nazca culture with its mysterious geoglyphs, and Norte Chico with the grandiose circular temple of Bandurria, and Moche, which built two grandiose temples on the territory of modern Peru.
Ceramic vessel, Urche culture.
The first traces left by the Moche (or Mochica) Indians are dated by archaeologists to the 1st century AD. The center of this ancient state was located on the Pacific coast, in the area of the modern city of Trujillo, in the north of Peru. In total, according to available data, more than 10 valleys inhabited the moche, the climate of which, as in our days, was extremely arid. Agriculture was the basis of the existence of the Moche, and for the successful cultivation of vegetables they had to build and maintain an extensive irrigation system, which also testifies to the high level of development of this state.
Pottery Moche.
Moche Indians lived in several large cities. They mastered the technique of making ceramics, processing metals, and during the excavations of their settlements, jewelry decorated with gold and ornamental stones was discovered. At the same time, the urine did not have a written language. But the main thing that is interesting about the Moche culture is two huge pyramids, the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon, built from adobe blocks in the 5th century. Despite the fragility of this building material, looting and deliberate destruction by the Spaniards, as well as 1500 years since the construction of the temples, their remains can still be seen in the vicinity of Trujillo.
Reconstruction of the Temple of the Moon.
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The Temple of the Moon has a rectangular base with a side length of 87 meters. The shape of the temple is a truncated pyramid about 20 meters high, at the top of which there was a flat platform. Several colored frescoes and murals have been preserved on the walls of this moche structure, and in general the Temple of the Moon has survived to this day in a better condition than the Temple of the Sun. Historians believe that the temple served for religious and ceremonial purposes, including for the rituals of sacrifices.
Ruins of the Temple of the Moon.
Inside the Temple of the Moon.
Frescoes in the Temple of the Moon.
The Temple of the Sun had a similar purpose. It is located in a nearby valley, but is large in size. With the height of the temple about 50 meters, at its base there is a rectangle with sides of 340 and 160 meters. For comparison: the base of the famous Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan is 225 by 225 meters. In Moche times, this temple had 7 tiers-steps, and the angle of inclination of the walls was 77º. The Temple of the Sun was located in the capital of the Moche state and served, in addition to ritual and ceremonial purposes, as a burial place for the highest nobility. The temple was badly damaged during the colonial conquest of South America. In the 17th century, the Spaniards thirsty for gold destroyed almost 2/3 of the temple, breaking the lower tiers of the pyramid and even directing the current of the local river here so that it eroded the base of the temple and made it easier to find gold.
Ruins of the Temple of the Sun, built from adobe blocks.
The Moche culture existed in the valleys of the Peruvian Andes until the 7th-8th centuries. Despite the many items found and burials of the nobility, archaeologists continue to work in those places where the Moche cities were located. Not so long ago, scientists discovered several more burials made of adobe bricks and wood. The burials contain jewelry, sculptures, ritual masks, ceramic vessels and various objects. In addition to the bodies of the deceased, archaeologists have removed the remains of llamas from the graves. The domestication of these amazingly hardy animals played an important role in the formation and development of many Andean peoples, and, as can be seen from recently discovered burials, llamas were held in high esteem among the Moche Indians.
Olga Frolova