Ideology

Clearly, the famous tombs of Sipán indicate that the ruling class played a dominant role in religion and warfare. The concentration of wealth in one tomb recalls the lavish burials of the Egyptian pharaohs.

Moche religion was complex and included a pantheon of gods with well-defined roles. The scenes painted on pottery and on murals indicate that Moche rituals and ceremonies formed the ideological base of the society. Cults and ceremonial activities were basically linked to rainfall in the Andes (where the coastal rivers originate), the fertility of the fields and the continuity of the social organization as a whole.