Study of the construction sequence of a Moche ceremonial mound in northern Peru: Huaca La Capilla - San José de Moro

Summary

For two decades, archaeological research in the Moche site of San José de Moro, located in the valley of Jequetepeque northern coast of Peru, have focused on exploring the ceremonial nature of the site from the study of funerary and feasts contexts. However, there are still many unresolved questions about the ritual practices, where they were made and what its frequency was. That is why, since 2012, new explorations started at a monumental construction, in order to understand the role and function of these structures in relation to the widely documented funerary and ritual features of SJM. This poster will present the preliminary results of research conducted at the mound called Huaca La Capilla. We will provide an approach to the construction sequence from data obtained on three consecutive excavation units located on the eastern slope of the mound. The analysis was conducted from architectural surveys, and the material recovered during excavations have allowed us, temporarily, to place the structure in relation to the long and continuous occupation of SJM, outlining a preliminary constructive sequence characterized by intense occupation, and among others, contribute to determine the relationship of this with the most representative burials from the site.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage