Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 May 2021
Investigations at the site of Huacas de Moche—also referred to as Huacas del Sol and de la Luna—on the north coast of Peru show a continuous occupational sequence from around AD 100 to 1500. The longest occupation corresponds to the Moche culture from around AD 100 to 850. Based on available archaeological evidence, this article examines the impact of an El Niño-like event in AD 600 on the history of Huacas de Moche. Widely held hypotheses assumed that this kind of climatic event caused the abandonment of the site; however, such explanations do not fit the current data. After almost three decades of research, archaeological evidence indicates that after the El Niño-like phenomenon of AD 600, the Old Temple of Huaca de la Luna was closed down, and the New Temple was built toward the east of the previous one, on the same slope of Cerro Blanco. Furthermore, on the opposite side of the site, the building called Huaca del Sol experienced its last and greatest architectural expansion, becoming a large-scale palace. These new lines of evidence lead us to reassess the effect that the El Niño-like phenomenon of AD 600 had on the development of the Moche culture at the site.
Las investigaciones en el sitio Huacas de Moche—también conocido como Huacas del Sol y de la Luna—en la costa norte de Perú, demuestran una secuencia ocupacional continua desde aproximadamente 100 hasta 1500 dC. La ocupación más larga corresponde a la cultura Mochica, desde aproximadamente 100 hasta aproximadamente 850 dC. En base a la evidencia arqueológica disponible, este artículo examina el impacto que tuvieron eventos similares o relacionados a El Niño en la historia de Huacas de Moche hacia el 600 dC. Desde hace varias décadas, hipótesis generalizadas han considerado que este tipo de eventos climáticos provocaron el abandono del sitio, sin embargo, tales explicaciones no se ajustan a los datos actuales. Después de casi tres décadas de investigación, la evidencia arqueológica indica que, alrededor del 600 dC, luego de un fenómeno similar a El Niño, el Templo Viejo de Huaca de la Luna fue clausurado y se construyó el Templo Nuevo hacia el este del anterior, en la misma ladera del Cerro Blanco. Además, en el lado opuesto del sitio, el edificio llamado Huaca del Sol experimentó su último y mayor proyecto arquitectónico, convirtiéndose en un palacio de grandes dimensiones. Estas nuevas líneas de evidencia conducen a reevaluar el efecto que habría tenido un fenómeno similar a El Niño de los años 600 dC en el desarrollo de la cultura Mochica en el sitio.
This author died before publication of the article.
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