essay

Sacrifices and ceremonial calendars in societies of the central Andes: a reconsideration

art and archaeology of the moche : an ancient andean society of the peruvian north coast • Austin • Published In 2008 • Pages: 23-42

By: Hocquenghem, Anne-Marie.

Abstract

In this exploration of iconography related to human sacrifice employing a corpus of more than four thousand photographs of artifacts, a distinction is drawn between illustrations of the decapitation of prisoners and depictions of human punishment. The sacred character of the images is emphasized, with reconstruction of the circumstances of these ritual occasions and identification of the actors. Moche depictions of rituals and punishments are compared to ethnohistorical accounts of Inca practices in order to explain the intent of the acts. Archaeological evidence of sacrifices in Plaza 3a at Huaca de la Luna is interpreted as rites of expiation.

HRAF PubDate

2015

Region

South America

Sub Region

Central Andes

Document Type

essay

Evaluation

Creator Type

Archaeologist

Document Rating

4: Excellent Secondary Data

Analyst

Sarah Berry; 2013

Field Date

not specified

Coverage Date

1800-1300 BP (AD 200-700)

Coverage Place

Piura, Lambayeque, La Libertad and Ancash regions (north coast), Peru

Notes

Anne Marie Hocquenghem

Includes bibliographical references (p. 41-42)

LCCN

2008027539

LCSH

Moche (Peru)--Antiquities