The anthropomorphic face of the ‘Slitter of Men’s Throats’,
at the Tomb, or ‘Huaca’ of the Moon, introduces us to the Moche culture,
which flourished along these same coastal valleys, before the Chimú empire,
from 200 BC to 700 AD.
From here we can see the Tomb of the Sun.
Between these two pyramids lay the capital of the Moche empire.
Inside the Tomb of the Moon we can see the different levels that have been excavated.
Each one corresponds to a different ruler, who, when he died,
was buried along with all his belongings, including his wives and servants.
Once they had been buried, they were sealed in with adobe bricks,
and on top of these the temple of the new ruler was built.
Six different levels have been discovered, to which access was gained by means of a ramp.
Moche, or Mochica society was also very hierarchical and there was clearly specialisation of labour.
They appear to have instituted a system of tribute at work, called ‘mita’.
Some writers define it as a theocratic society, while others speak of a secular society.
We know that they worshipped the moon, and the deity Ai-Apaec, a fierce god,
the supreme power, and creator of the world, who demanded human sacrifice
Apparently, the victims were thrown from the summit of the White Mountain,
which rises up behind the tomb. There, 42 bodies of sacrificed warriors have been found.
Close by the Tomb of the Moon stands the Tomb, or ‘Huaca’ of the Sorcerer.
In Peru, the word ‘huaca’ is used to describe any archaeological site, and the things found there.
The most important of these finds are the polychromatic friezes which have been unearthed,
like this one, showing a line of naked prisoners, on their way to be castrated,
moving towards the figure of the ‘Slitter of Throats’ here in the form of a spider,
who holds a tumi, or ceremonial knife, in his hand.
Some archaeologists believe this to be a representation of the god Ai-Apaec.
On the walls of the different platforms, beneath the relief drawings, we can see bones and human remains.
They are believed to belong to workers who were condemned to death by being immured in the walls.
Many more mummies have been found in Peru than in any other country in the world.
Its ancient civilisations had very large populations.
People were buried with all their possessions, because they believed that life continued after death.
The mummification processes varied according to the era and the region.
In the case of the cultures along the coast,
the main factor in the preservation of the bodies was simply the climate.
The exceptionally dry climate of the Peruvian desert has meant the mummified bodies
have remained well preserved right down to the present day.
The heads of mummies, stolen when the ancient tombs were robbed and defiled,
occupy an important place on the tables of power of the sorcerers and healers.
In the dark of night, and presided over by the shaman, rituals are held, at which they ingest the ‘San Pedro’,
a cactus which contains a powerful alkali with relaxant and hallucinatory properties – mescaline,
a mind-altering substance which induces a profound state of trance.
The San Pedro is cooked for a minimum of eight hours,
and the results of this cooking ingested through the nose.
The number of sniffs or doses is decided by the shaman.
The swords with which they protect themselves from the disturbing spirits are stuck into the ground, to guard the table.
The San Pedro was present in the majority of Pre-Inca cultures.
Its native name is huachuma.
According to the investigator Antonio Escohotado, the name ‘San Pedro’
can be explained by the fact that Saint Peter was the holder of the keys to heaven,
and this plant is the ‘key’ which opens the door to another world.
In the pottery of the Moche, Chimú, Paraca and other cultures,
we can see the cactus, represented in the shape of a star,
like the cut they make into the San Pedro, in order to get at the part which contains the greatest amount of mescaline.
The cactus can be bought in the sorcerers’ markets, in the north of the country,
along with an endless number of potions and cures prepared by the healers.
The origins of the recipes of these are lost in the depths of time.
You can also buy the liturgical objects necessary for each ritual,
like the skulls of mummies, which confer the greatest power to the ceremonial tables.
The archaeological treasures stolen by the grave-robbers are vital if the shamans
are to summon up the power necessary to invoke their gods.
They also drink the liquid obtained from cooking the San Pedro.
The effect is slower, and the required dose larger.
Though people in the north of Peru are very religious, they alternate the Christian faith with their beliefs in sorcery and healing.
They live in an animist world, in which misfortune and bad luck are the result of spells and curses.