Cultural Affiliation

Although the Huacas at Moche were occupied during the span of north coast prehistory, the two largest monuments that give the site its name, the Huacas del Sol y de la Luna, were built by the Moche. Underlying the Moche occupation archaeologists found earlier Salinar and Gallinazo remains that date to around the beginning of the Christian era. In the upper levels intruding into the Moche occupation archaeologists discovered tombs and offerings traced to later cultures such as Wari, Chimú and Inca.

Clearly, the site served as an important religious and political center for thousands of years, but its occupation was most intense and impressive under the Moche. Current research suggests that it was a ceremonial center and an urban settlement dominated by the Huacas del Sol y de la Luna, while the plain between the two Huacas was filled with cemeteries and housed a dense residential population.