With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Ancient ruins may reveal fate of Moche sex and sacrifice culture

Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of an ancient city that they hope might finally answer questions about the fate of the Moche culture — best known for the ceremonial sex acts and ritualistic human sacrifices depicted on its pottery.

The unearthed city is some 5km (three miles) long and has revealed what appears to be a gathering place for human sacrifices, a heap of human bones at the bottom of a cliff, ceramics, items of clothing and the well-preserved remains of a young woman.

Archaeologists hope that the ruins will provide the missing link between the Moche people — whose disappearance has long since puzzled historians — and the Wari, who later colonised parts of what is today Peru.

Read entire article at Times (UK)