Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna

South America 2004 » Peru » Northern Peru » Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna

On our second day in Trujillo, we visited the Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna

These pyramids were built by ancestors of the Chimu, known as the Moche. The Moche civilization lasted from about 0 AD to around 700 AD. Again, it is thought that a drought brought on by El Niño was in part responsible for their downfall.

Unlike Chan Chan, the Huaca de la Luna and it's immediate surrounds are still being excavated. This is thanks to sponsorship from one of Peru's breweries. The excavation of Chan Chan was paid for by the Peruvian government and by UNESCO, and money has run out.

Our guide took us to see the Huaca de la Luna, where we saw many colouful friezes. We also visited some of the on-going excavations, and were fortunate enough to see some of the more recently uncovered walls and reliefs.

Huaca1 A view of Huaca del Sol from Huaca de la Luna. Huaca del Sol was the political centre of the Moche culture. It was partially destroyed when the Spanish conquistadores diverted a nearby river to demolish it in order to search for gold. It has not yet been properly excavated.

Huaca2 Some colorful reliefs in the Huaca de la Luna - the religious centre. Many of these reliefs were uncovered in the 1990s, and excevation is on-going.

Huaca2a Another relief. Most of the reliefs are of this chap, though his facial expressions change. He can be happy, sad or angry. He seems a bit angry here!

Huaca5 Some friezes in the Huaca de la Luna.