Dying to Rule: Sex and Power in Moche Society – 2007
Botella asa-estribo: Prisionero desollado ,amarrado a tronco y picoteado por aves de rapiíía. Museo Larco, Lima - Perú/ ML001478
The world of the living
Like all societies that inhabit arid zones, the Moche were obsessed with water. Their crops, animals and unquestionably their own lives depended upon this vital element. In a land where it virtually never rains, the Ruler’s power rested to a large extent on his ability to ensure that the rivers and runoff from the hills provided enough water to fertilize the land, allowing the maize to grow and the landscape to flourish. Master of the ocean, the guano-producing birds and other marine creatures, the Ruler was considered to be water incarnated. Many of the rituals on the ceremonial calendar therefore sought to ensure his long life, for his death foretold of great catastrophes.
