that the spread of Chavín art was a refl ection of the expan-
sion of a religious cult.
Moche is the name given to the site, river valley, culture,
style, and state that dominated the north coast of Peru for the
fi rst 600 years c.e. Th e site of Moche comprised two enor-
mous adobe structures, the Huaca del Sol and the Huaca de la
Luna. Th e former was the largest structure in the Americas,
constructed of roughly 130 million adobe bricks. Much infor-
mation on the Moche is known through the iconography of
painted pottery and murals, including the division of society
into specialized classes refl ecting rulers, nobles, priests, war-
riors, slaves, messengers, servants, hunters, fi shermen, and
farmers. Marked diff erences in wealth can be inferred from
the grave goods that accompany burials, suggesting a strati-
fi ed society, and scenes on painted pots off er clear proof of
hierarchical organization. Images of warfare, prisoner sacri-
fi ce, and portraits of important individuals leave little doubt
that the Moche were a highly militarized people led by strong
individuals.
Th e Moche mounted an expansive conquest campaign
around the fourth century c.e. over neighboring valleys
and subordinated those areas to the state. While the Moche
clearly had a fi rm grip over state organization, uniting sev-
eral valleys under one administrative network, the lack of
expansive trade, interaction spheres, or control of distant
lands, as in other empires, such as Teotihuacán and the later
Inca, largely prohibit defi ning the Moche as an empire even
though they clearly had imperial designs. Similarly, evidence
from realistic portrait vessels hints at a dynastic form of au-
thority, but lacking further coordinating data the images re-
main isolated and enigmatic reminders of a once-burgeoning
state. Th ere is evidence of great fl oods followed by extensive
droughts that not only may have interrupted what was a cam-
paign for imperial rule but also may have lead to the collapse
of the Moche. At the same time the Wari Empire, the fi rst
true empire of the Andes, was growing. Although there is no
evidence that the Wari conquered the Moche, their presence
on the outer boundaries may have contributed to the Moche
collapse around 600 c.e.See also agriculture; architecture; art; astronomy;
borders and frontiers; calendars and clocks; ce-
ramics and pottery; cities; climate and geography;
crafts; crime and punishment; death and burial prac-
tices; economy; education; food and diet; foreigners
and barbarians; gender structures and roles; gov-
ernment organization; hunting, fishing, and gath-
ering; language; laws and legal codes; literature;
metallurgy; migration and population movements;
military; natural disasters; nomadic and pastoral
societies; religion and cosmology; resistance and dis-
sent; roads and bridges; sacred sites; scandals and
corruption; settlement patterns; social collapse and
abandonment; social organization; sports and recre-
ation; towns and villages; trade and exchange; war
and conquest; weaponry and armor; writing.Now the entire army of his majesty was in the town
named Napata, in which Dedwen, Who presides over
Wawat, is God—he is also the god of Kush—after the
death of the Falcon [Inle-Amon] upon his throne. Now
then, the trusted commanders from the midst of the
army of His Majesty were six men, while the trusted
commanders and overseers of fortresses were six men.... Th en they said to the entire army, “Come, let us
cause our lord to appear, for we are like a herd which
has no herdsman!” Th ereupon this army was very
greatly concerned, saying, “Our lord is here with us,
but we do not know him! Would that we might know
him, that we might enter in under him and work for
him, as It-Tjwy work for Horus, the son of Isis, after
he sits upon the throne of his father Osiris! Let us
give praise to his two crowns.” Th en the army of His
Majesty all said with one voice, “Still there is this god
Amon-Re, Lord of the Th rones of It-Tjwy, Resident in
Napata. He is also a god of Kush. Come, let us go to
him. We cannot do a thing without him, but a good
fortune comes from the god. He is the god of the kings
of Kush since the time of Re. It is he who will guide
us. In his hands is the kingship of Kush, which he has
given to the son whom he loves....
So the commanders of His Majesty and the offi cials of
the palace went to the Temple of Amon. Th ey found
the prophets and the major priests waiting outside the
temple. Th ey said to them, “Pray, may this god, Amon-Re,
Resident in Napata, come, to permit that he give us our
lord, to revive us, to build the temples of all the gods and
goddesses of Kemet, and to present their divine off erings!
We cannot do a thing without this god. It is he who guidesTh e Selection of Aspelta as King of Kush, ca. 600 b.c.e.
Africa422 empires and dynasties: primary source documents