Warfare and Human Sacrifice in the Moche World: New Discoveries and Continuing Debates

Depictions of armed combat and the capture and sacrifice of prisoners are well known in the art of the ancient Moche of Peru. Since 1995, the iconographic record has been joined by archaeological evidence of the sacrificial practices themselves. The most dramatic discoveries have been made at the Pyramid of the Moon in the Moche Valley. New discoveries continue to be made, while debates continue over the nature of Moche warfare and human sacrifice. This talk by John Verano (Professor of Anthropology, Tulane University), delivered at Brown University on March 14, 2013, gives an update on the latest excavations in 2012, highlighting our current understanding of Moche sacrificial practices. Sponsored by the Friends of the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology and donors to the Samuel Cate Fund.