Huaca del Sol

This monumental structure is composed of several terraces built on the slightly inclined plain along the fringes of Moche valley farmland. The Huaca is vera eroded, thanks in part to sporadic yet intense rains. Looking also took its toll in Colonial times, when treasure hunters diverted the Moche river and washed away two-thirds of the Huaca.

Today only the southern and eastern sides of the Huaca stand, but the evidence suggests that it had a somewhat cross-shaped plan and that it was aligned northeast-southwest, with short, central wings.

The central platform is composed of two levels: the southern one, which includes the wings, appears higher than the northern one. The southern side features a truncated and terraced mound with a square plan, while there is evidence on the wings for a small, elongated platform aligned east-west.

Based on these observations, archaeologists estimate that only one-third of the original Huaca remains and that it once measured 345 by 160 meters and towered 30 meters above the valley floor. The entire Huaca was built of an estimated 140 million mold-made adobe bricks, many arranged in column like segments. It was the largest adobe structure in the Americas.