The intersection of kinship, political authority, and ritual practices of the Moche of Peru have been discovered through reconstructed familial relationships within an elite burial in northern Peru. The discovery, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), focuses on six individuals interred around 500 AD at Huaca Cao Viejo, a pyramid-like temple within the El Brujo archaeological complex in the Chicama Valley.
The burial group includes the Señora de Cao, a famous, high-status woman buried with lavish offerings, and a sacrificed juvenile. Using genetic, isotopic, and archaeological evidence, researchers established that these individuals were members of an extended family spanning at least four generations. The findings also reveal a unique form of ritual sacrifice involving close relatives—a practice previously undocumented in Moche society.
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Reconstruction of the ‘Lady of Cao’, a Moche priestess/ruler. (Manuel González Olaechea/CC BY SA 3.0)
Sacrifice Among Relatives
The Moche, who flourished between 300 and 950 AD, are renowned for their intricate art, social hierarchy, and ceremonial human sacrifices often performed publicly as offerings to deities. However, this burial tells a different story. Unlike the public and violent sacrifices often depicted in Moche iconography, these sacrifices were private and familial.
The juveniles, a boy and a girl, were strangled with plant fiber ropes and buried alongside their relatives. Genetic analysis showed that the sacrificed boy was likely the son of one of the adult males in the tomb, while the girl was the niece of the Señora de Cao. Researchers suggest the boy may have been sacrificed after his father’s death, while the girl was likely offered during her aunt’s burial.
“This study provides the first confirmation of familial relationships within an elite Moche burial group,” said Lars Fehren-Schmitz, an archaeogeneticist at the University of California, Santa Cruz. “No evidence has pointed to the sacrifice of close or adolescent relatives like we observed.”
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Map of the Señora Group Enclosure. Right, Top-to-Bottom: Locations of the El Brujo Archaeological Complex, the Huaca Cao Viejo, and the Enclosure in descending order Left: The enclosure with tombs numbered. Adobes and standing walls in gray and hatched. Arrows = ramp ascents. (PNAS)
Insights into Moche Society
The researchers used genomic sequencing to reconstruct the family tree and isotopic analysis to examine the diets and geographic origins of the individuals. Most of the buried individuals, including the Señora de Cao, spent their childhoods near the Chicama Valley and consumed a diet rich in maize and marine proteins.
However, the sacrificed girl’s isotopic profile indicated a distinct diet and origin, suggesting she was raised outside the Chicama Valley. This difference highlights the mobility of Moche elites and their ability to form alliances or establish familial ties across regions.
The intimate nature of these sacrifices underscores the central role of kinship in Moche society. By linking the deceased through familial sacrifices, the Moche may have reinforced the transmission of authority and status across generations.
Rituals of the Elite
The burial practices revealed in this study reflect a more dignified and private ritual killing, possibly reserved for individuals of high societal or spiritual status. The Señora de Cao, interred with a sacrificed relative, numerous offerings, and intricate tattoos, represents the pinnacle of Moche elite burial practices.
“This discovery emphasizes how kinship was not just a familial bond but a critical element in maintaining political authority in Moche society,” said Jeffrey Quilter, one of the study’s authors. The intertwining of kinship and ritual sacrifice allowed Moche elites to align themselves with both ancestors and divine forces, solidifying their power and legacy.
The study provides a deeper understanding of the Moche civilization’s complex social and ceremonial structures, revealing a previously undocumented facet of their rich cultural heritage.
Top image: Left; Reconstruction of the Lady of Cao. Right; Huaca Cao Viejo temple at the El Brujo archaeological complex in Peru. Source: Left; Jean-Pierre Dalbéra/ CC BY 2.0 Right; PNAS
By Gary Manners
Source: www.ancient-origins.net