Verb
to be the largest or most noticeable object in a place
dominate
Two thousand years ago a mysterious and little known civilization ruled the northern coast of Peru. Its people were called the Moche. They built huge and bizarre pyramids that still dominate the surrounding countryside.
Verb
to be gradually destroyed by natural forces like wind, rain, and ice
eroded
Some of the pyramids are well over a hundred feet tall. Many are so heavily eroded they look like natural hills; only close up can you see they are made up of millions of mud bricks.
Adjective
of or relating to the physical world and not the spiritual world
secular
Several of the pyramids, sacred sites known as ‘huacas’, contain rich collection of murals depicting both secular and sacred scenes from the Moche world. Others house the elaborate tombs of Moche leaders.
Noun
a structure, like a bride, pipe, or channel, that is used to carry water through a valley
aqueduct
Out in the desert, archaeologists have also found the 2,000-year-old remains of an extensive system of mud brick aqueduct which enabled the Moche to tame their desert environment. Many are still in use today.
Verb
to uncover something by digging away and removing the earth that covers it
excavated
As archaeologists have excavated at Moche sites they've unearthed some of the most fabulous pottery and jewelry ever to emerge from an ancient civilization.
intricate
The Moche were pioneers of metal working techniques like gilding and early forms of soldering. These skills enabled them to create extraordinarily intricate artifacts.
Noun
a simple object such as a tool, weapon, or jewelry made by people of the past
artifacts
These artifacts included ear studs and necklaces, nose rings and helmets, many heavily inlaid with gold and precious stones. But it was the pottery that gave the archaeologists their first real insight into Moche life.
account
The Moche left no written record but they did leave a fabulous account of their life and times in paintings on pots and vessels. Many show every-day events and objects such as people, fish, birds and other animals.
vessels
Other Moche vessels show scenes from what, at first sight, look like a series of battles. But as the archaeologists studied them more closely they realized they weren't ordinary battles.
Verb
to defeat (someone) completely in a war, battle, etc.
vanquished
All the Moche soldiers were dressed alike, the same images were repeated time and again. When the battle was won, the vanquished were ritually sacrificed.
Adjective
done as part of a formal ceremony, in a particular situation and in the same way each time
ritual
Their throats cut, the blood of the vanquished drained into a cup and the cup was then drunk by a God-like deity. It was, the archaeologists slowly realized, a story not of war but ritual combat followed by human sacrifice.