Moche, << MOH chay, >> was a Native American culture that flourished in the coastal desert of what is now northern Peru from the A.D. 100’s to the 700’s. The Moche people are known especially for their crafts and artwork, which include pottery, murals, textiles, and precious metal objects. The people are sometimes called the Mochica.
The Moche used molds to shape their pottery, which they painted. The most commonly used paints were reddish-brown, cream-colored, and black. Paintings on the pottery include portraits, scenes of daily life, and pictures of religious ceremonies. Some Moche murals consist of geometric designs. Others show scenes from Moche ceremonies and myths. The Moche wove both cotton and wool textiles and made jewelry and other objects of copper, gold, and silver.
At Sipan, Peru, near Chiclayo, archaeologists have uncovered the graves of Moche who were buried with gold, silver, and other precious objects. These Moche individuals held high social rank, and they may have played important roles in religious ceremonies.
The Moche used irrigation to grow corn and other crops. They traded extensively with peoples of the western Andes Mountains.
