Dying to Rule: Sex and Power in Moche Society – 2007
Anal Copulation Rituals
Non-reproductive sex acts such as anal copulation were carried out during the funeral rites that marked the Ruler’s journey from the World of the Living to the World of the Dead. The active male and generally immobile female are identifiable by their attire: loincloth, headdress and ear ornaments for the man and dress, braids and the absence of a headdress for the woman. The act is being performed in a specially prepared place upon a carpet or mat. Occasionally, motifs of steps, parallel lines and waves suggest that the couple is on top of a ceremonial structure, emphasizing the symbolic nature of the act.