Elite Infant buried with ceramics at Peruvian temple
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Archaeologists in Trujillo, Peru, discovered the 1,400-year-old burial of an infant at the Huaca de la Luna temple, part of the Huacas de Moche complex.
Carlos Rengifo of the Huacas de Moche Archaeological Project explained the grave held over 30 ceramic objects. These included vessels showing birds, prisoners, sacrificial scenes, battles, and deities. One ceramic vessel depicted a body of water separated from the sea by a sand strip, decorated with birds, fish, and frogs.
Enrique Zavaleta suggested the imagery indicated moisture or approaching rainfall, important to the Moche people. Researchers also found a metal mask, possibly copper, covering the child’s skull, and another metal object near the foot bones. The infant’s tomb was found on the Uhle funerary platform where other high-status adult burials have been uncovered, suggesting the child also held an elite position within the Moche society.
