The Moche civilization was created by the people who lived in the arid coastal regions of Northern Peru from around AD100 to AD700. At the end of the 1980s understanding of Moche society was suddenly and irrevocably altered. A series of discoveries on the North coast of Peru revealed stunning artistic and technological achievements and caused a dramatic revision of the sophistication and power of Moche society. This is the first book to describe this ancient civilization in the light of the new evidence.

pt. I. The Moche World.1. Introduction: Encountering the Moche. -- The Andean Natural World as Culture. -- Life and Work in Moche Society. -- Symbols of Power. -- The Rituals of Power -- pt. II. The History of the Moche. -- The Moche Historical Tradition. -- The Emergence of Moche Society. -- Moche Florescent. -- Collapse and Reconstitution in the Late Moche Period. -- End and Beginning: The Passing of the Moche Era. -- Postscript: The Moche Legacy.