The Huaca del Sol & The Huaca de la Luna

Southeast of the modern city of Trujillo; considered by many scholars to be the former capital of the Moche Empire lies " The Huaca del Sol & The Huaca de la Luna". It is located just east of a large hill, the Cerro Blanco (White Mountain), and next to a tributary of the Moche River. It is in the central region of the extensive Moche Valley. This major archaeological site was built during the time of the Moche culture (100 BC-650 AD).

The primary structures are two huge adobe brick platforms: the Pyramid of the Sun, or Huaca del Sol, and the artificial platform called Huaca de la Luna, or Temple of the Moon. Within the 1/4 milewide, open plain between them, researchers have found many graves, as well as evidence of large scale manufacturing covered by a layer of sediment up to 10 feet thick. A considerable number of people were living at this great settlement. It is located so as not to usurp agricultural land and it is in a good location to acquire food, building materials and other resources.

The Huaca del Sol

The stepped pyramid called Huaca del Sol measures 1,250 feet in length and 135 feet above the surrounding plain - making it the tallest adobe structure of the Americas. lt is calculated that around 50 million to 100 million sun-dried, mud bricks (or “adobes”), were used in its construction. By 450 CE, eight different stages of construction had been completed on the Huaca del Sol. The construction of the temple was additive; new layers of brick were laid directly on top of the old. By 450 CE, eight different stages of construction had been completed on the Huaca del Sol. Huaca de la Luna, it is oriented about 20 degrees east of north. It was probably started in the early Moche period. It is the largest adobe structure in the Americas.

In 1602 the Spaniards looking for gold treasure; intentionally diverted the Santa Catalina River, into the pyramid which then washed away more than 1/2 of the Huaca del Sol on the west side. It is estimated that approximately 2/3 of the structure has been lost to erosion and looting.

The Huaca del Sol stepped pyramid is made up of four main platforms that rise up from the northeast, where an access ramp would have stood, toward the southwest where there is a fourth, lower and narrower platform. It is made up entirely of sun-dried adobe bricks. Many of the adobe bricks have their original brick mason marks, such as imprints of hands, feet, dots, crosses upon them. These marks have been interpreted by researchers as accounting tools to distinguish different groups of brick masons, which facilitated tracking the payment of “taxes”. The number of different maker’s marks on the bricks suggests that over a hundred different communities contributed bricks to the construction of the Huacas. The use of brick mason marks is also evident at a Mesoamerican site in Tabasco Mexico called Comalcalco.

The name “Huaca del Sol” is really not known since there are no indications as to what was the original name of the site, which must have been in the now-extinct Muchik language, spoken here during the 15th Century.

It is believed today that the Huaca del Sol may have been a burial mound for Moche rulers, while the Huaca de la Luna served a largely ceremonial and religious function, though it contains burials as well.

The Huaca de la Luna

Overlooking the Pyramid of the Sun lies the Pyramid or Temple of the Moon, another major part of this Moche urban and ceremonial center.

The Pyramid or Temple of the Moon has three platforms and four open courts or plazas making up most of the structure, which is built against the lower slopes of the Cerro Blanco or White Mountain. All of the bricks used in the Huaca de la Luna also bear one of ninety-three different markings, each one corresponding to a group of laborers. Each group was assigned a mark to put on their bricks.

The Temple of the Moon measures 950 feet from north to south and 690 feet from east to west. The access to the structure was probably located on the north side Looters have tunneleds into its' eastern side and exposed many polychrome reliefs, which are now destroyed. Many Moche burials, have been excavated inside the massive adobe platform which have produced artifacts, such as ceramics and metal headgear. The Huaca de la Luna itself is a large complex of three main platforms, each one serving a different function.

Very tall and wide walls mark off each of the four courts, some of the which have narrow cane and pole roofs running along the sides.

The Huaca de la Luna was decorated in murals which were painted in black, bright red, white, and yellow. The sun and weather has since faded these murals away, but other murals used in earlier phases of construction can still be seen inside the Huaca. Many of these depict a deity now known as Ayapec. "Ayapec" is a Quechua word translating as "Wrinkle-Face;" this name was given to the deity by the later Inca because of the deity's appearance.

Painted reliefs have also been located in several of the platforms and plazas.

For example, the head of the "degollador" or sacrificer, decorates the walls of platform I in the southwest corner of the site. The large southern platform was the site of human sacrifice rituals.

The open space between the two pyramids has recently been found to have been an area of manufacturing. Ceramic workshops and large-scale maize-beer production are evident as well as textile production and metalworking.

IF YOU LOVE WATCHING ARCHAEOLOGY ACTIVITIES TAKING PLACE. THEN THIS IS THE SITE TO VISIT.You can "feel" the excitement in the air as you watch the many restorations and digs actually taking place as you visit. As you look over our photos, look also for the many activities going on at the site.

We found the management, workers, and volunteers to be very honest and excited in the work that they are doing here. We found these people to be doing extraordinary things with the limited funds that they have to work with.

If you wish to make a donation of time or money to help with these activities, your donation will be welcome and actually be put to good use, to make the "Huaca del Sol" and "Huaca de la Luna" archaeological site even better. A link to their donation contact page is at the bottom of this page.

We were at the "Huaca del Sol" and "Huaca de la Luna" on April 27, 2006 during the morning from 11:00 AM until about 12:45 PM.