Capturing Warfare

Warriors and Captives

Moche war clubs are pointed at one end, and thus could be used either as a club or a spear. The objects floating around the warriors in this painting are meant to depict the dust kicked up during intense combat. The dust can be portrayed with dots, with a combination of dots and solid areas, or simply by solid areas.

War Clubs

WAR CLUBS

Hummingbirds above the warriors in this painting signify speed and intense action. The trapezoidal objects hanging from the backs of the warriors, known as backflaps, are made of metal. When a backflap is depicted with half light and half dark color, the artist is indicating that one half is silver and the other half is gold. The rectangular elements with two dots, seen on the tunic and headdress of one of the warriors on the right, depict platelets of gilded copper that are sewn onto fabric. Paisley-shaped objects between the pairs of warriors are ulluchus, fruits that had a religious importance to the Moche.

Hummingbirds

HUMMINGBIRDS

The objective of Moche combat was to capture rather than kill the opponent. Defeat is indicated by a warrior losing his headdress and by the victor grasping his hair. The posture of the nude figure on the left indicates that he is dead. At his feet are a strap-handled bag, a war club, spears, and a spear thrower.

Defeat

DEFEAT

After a warrior is defeated, a rope is put around his neck and his clothing, weapons, and ornaments are removed and tied into a weapon bundle. He is then slapped in the face until he bleeds. The bodies , arms and faces of warriors are usually painted with elaborate geometric and zoomorphic designs.

Captives

CAPTIVES

After the defeated warriors are made to bleed, they are paraded as nude captives with ropes around their necks. Their weapon bundles, consisting of their clothing, weapons, and ornaments, are hung from the war clubs of the victors.

Victory Parade

VICTORY PARADE

The nude captives arrive at a ceremonial precinct, identified by the large truncated pyramid with a structure at the summit. Some of the prisoners are being carried in litters by their comrades. In the upper right, a nude prisoner with his hands tied behind his back, is being sacrificed by having his throat cut.

Ceremony

CEREMONY

 

Two nude captives, with their hands tied behind their backs and their weapon bundles at their sides, can be seen in the lower right of this painting. Their throats are being cut to drain their blood, which is consumed from tall goblets by the priests and priestesses above, each of whom is dressed in prescribed ritual vestments.

Sacrifice

SACRIFICE

After the Sacrifice Ceremony, the bodies of the victims are dismembered. The heads, arms, and legs are made into trophies by tying them with rope.

Trophies

TROPHIES