The Huacas del Sol and the Moon are two dazzling sanctuaries built by the Moche culture in the 1st century BC. Long before the existence of the Incas, the Moches built their administrative and ceremonial centers 5 kilometers south from the city of Trujillo in the department of La Libertad in northeastern Peru.
The Huaca del Sol
The Huaca del Sol, an impressive 43-meter-high pyramidal construction, was conceived as a center for political administration and housing for the upper class of the Moche culture. Built in a now desert sector, it has 5 levels or terraces, the longest of 80 meters in length. To raise it, 140 million adobes were used, many of which were destroyed by the Spaniards when they diverted the course of the Moche River.
The Huaca del Sol is still a mystery because due to lack of budget, it has not been possible to excavate as it has been done with the Huaca de la Luna.
The Huaca de la Luna
The Huaca de la Luna was the ceremonial center of the Moche culture composed of superimposed temples, each representative of a stage of the Mochica empire. On its walls there are incredible murals representative of the god Ai-apaec, engraved and painted with natural colors.
The archaeological discoveries made in the Huaca de la Luna show the realization of human sacrifices by the Moches, who made these offerings to ask their gods to avoid the climatic storm that is now known as the phenomenon of the child.
From the Huaca de la Luna you can see the slopes of the hill where the blood of the sacrificed men went down. So far, only one grave has been discovered with more than 40 sacrificed warriors.
Huacas de Moche Museum
At the entrance to the archaeological complex Huacas de la Luna y del Sol, the Huacas de Moche museum is located, a cultural space where important objects of this pre-Inca ethnicity remain. This is where the famous Moche Route begins, which continues at the El Brujo Archaeological Complex, where the mummy of the Lady of Cao was found and culminates in the ruins around Chiclayo.
Recommendations
The view to the Huacas del sol y la luna takes half a day.
The solar radiation is very aggressive in the area so it is recommended to wear sunglasses, sunscreen, a hat and a lot of water.
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