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Moche Ceramic Vessels
By Michael Coleman
The Moche civilization is known to have lived along the desert coast of Pre-Columbian Peru between the first and eighth centuries CE. Most of the archaeological evidence and discoveries concerning Moche society is based off of the unique depictions and patterns of their ceramic vessels, which are believed to have been used primarily in Moche funerary processions. Moche are currently believed to be the first civilization in South America to have achieved state-level organization. Archaeologist Raphael Larco Hoyle devised a five-phase system to categorize the Moche vessels based off of the shape of their spouts. Most Moche archaeologists today use this system as a timeline for the different eras of Moche civilization.
Map of Major Moche Archaeological sites in Both Northern and southern Moche geographic areas
Credit: Claude Chapdelaine
The depictions on Moche vessels are extremely diverse and full of opportunities for discovery. Many vessels, such as the one above, depict the events of religious processions, that give insight into important figures, events and religious beliefs of the time. The vessel to the right shows one of many anthropomorphic characters found on vessels. This vessel specifically depicts an amalgamation of human and potato, which gives insight into the religious importance of the potato to Moche people as a symbol of rebirth. Other vessels may depict important individuals, animals, plants, events, architectural structures, or religious deities that give greater insight into Moche culture.
Phase IV bottle commonly known as the "Hearst Bottle has features of both human and potato.
​Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley, 4-2814
Though Moche archaeology has been explored for over 100 years now, recent discoveries have called many previous ideas about the Moche society to question. Discrepancies between Northern and Southern Moche timelines cast shadows of doubt on the validity of Larco's organizational system, a long-time staple of Moche study; discoveries of new architecture leads to questions about Moche political structure; newfound Moche artifacts besides vessels inspire new questions about the religious beliefs of Moche. In light of these questions, Moche experts are rarely in agreement on most details concerning these matters. The unknown mystery of Moche and continual debate and disagreement of their culture, however, is a pivotal step in the discovery of new aspects of Moche life, as they enable scholars to reconsider old ideas and explore new ones.
A ceramic vessel depicting religious architecture and processional themes in Moche culture.
Dallas Museum of Art
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When you look at Moche ceramic vessels, you see the inner workings and continual process of human discovery.