Variations in Mochica Metalwork

Summary

In the last thirty years, archaeological investigations on the north coast of Peru have produced a wealth of new information leading to nuances in our understanding of Moche sociopolitical organization (AD 200-800). These discoveries have included excavations of intact tombs of Moche male and female elites, interred with their ritual regalia and other grave goods. Metal ornaments made up an important part of this regalia, yet our understanding of Moche metallurgy technology and its relationship to sociopolitical organization remains under-explored. In this pape,r we will carry out a systematic comparison of the metal objects and techniques employed to create them from multiple Moche sites. With this comparison we will further document the diverse technologies used throughout the Moche world with the goal of furthering our understanding of Moche metalworking artisans, techniques, and organization. This comparison will document the degree of standardization in Moche metalworking techniques to identify the nature and scale of differences between regions, and how these may shed light on workshop practice and social relations in the Moche world.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Archaeometallurgy of the New World: Current Research, Approaches, and Methods

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 14703