Archaeology Magazine - January 1974 - 30

RITUAL

DECAPITATION

MOCHE

By CHRISTOPHER

various societies in both the Old and New
Worlds, human decapitation has played a
In
significant role. Most often the practice has
been associated with one of three basic cultural
phenomena - warfare, status seeking or religion.
Among the north coast Peruvian Moche, the
severing of a man's head seems to have been primarily an act of religious piety. This conclusion
is based on a study of the Moche's own representations of this activity. From both published
and unpublished photographs and drawings of
thousands of Moche artifacts, I have compiled a
group of 53 objects- 50 vases, two metal objects
and a stone carving - which carried some sort of
representation of human decapitation.
The Moche culture developed in several north
coast valleys of Peru about the time of Christ or
in the middle of the so-called Early Intermediate
period of South American prehistory. It lasted
until ca. a.D. 600 or into the early part of the
Middle Horizon, when a marked Huari influence interrupted the Moche V art style and cultural development. Chronologically, the Moche
style parallels the very distinct Middle and Late
Nasca styles of the south coast of Peru. Nasca
art portrays an abundance of decapitations, and
actual severed heads dating from this period have
been found. While many similarities exist between Moche and Nasca motifs, the differences
are far greater, and it seems logical to assume
that the common portrayals of decapitated heads
and the act of decapitation have their origins in
earlier Peruvian cultures. Evidence of head col30

ART

L. MOSER

lecting has been reported for the central coast
from as early as 2000 b.c. The practice appears
to have been sporadic, however, until the beginning of the Early Horizon period (ca. 900-200
b.c.), when adaptation to life in agricultural villages was in progress. Decapitated heads can be
found among Cupisnique-Chavin artistic representations as well as those of the Salinar and Gallinazo phases, all of which preceded the Moche
period in northern Peru.
To distinguish renderings of actual decapitations from depictions of face pendants and space
fillers, the examples had to fall into one of the
following categories: a head with blood flowing
from the neck; a severed head held by the hair,
suspended from a cord passed through it, or attached to poles or belts; and, finally, bodies lacking heads altogether. There are in general three
types of scenes in which decapitations occur:
combat between supernatural beings; public display or sacrifice; and single figures holding severed heads or performing a decapitation.

None of the earthly battle scenes contains severed heads, either in the hands of the combatants or as personal adornments. Indeed, only one
battle scene shows a slain enemy at all, a fact
which supports the conclusion that the main
object of Moche warfare was not to kill the
enemy but to take him prisoner for later use or
sacrifice.

Archaeology Magazine - January 1974

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Archaeology Magazine - January 1974