Archaeologists in Peru have uncovered a throne room with intricately painted walls, indicating that a woman likely ruled the Moche civilization over 1,300 years ago. The site, located at Panamarca on Peru's northwestern coast, provides further evidence of a matriarchal society among the ancient Moche people.
The newly discovered room features a stone throne and murals depicting a crowned woman receiving visitors. Jessica Ortiz Zevallos, director of the archaeological project, stated, "The throne room for a queen has never been seen in Panamarca or anywhere else in ancient Peru."
Panamarca served as the southernmost center of the Moche civilization, which thrived between 350 and 850 CE, predating the Inca Empire. This finding echoes the discovery of the Lady of Cao, a female mummy believed to have ruled the Moche civilization around 1,700 years ago, found at the El Brujo site. The Cao Museum, established nearby, showcases the mummy alongside numerous artifacts and jewelry from her tomb.
The Lady of Cao has been described as the first known female governor in Peru, and this latest discovery reinforces the notion that women held significant authority in Moche society. Lisa Trever, an art history professor at Columbia University, remarked, "Panamarca continues to surprise us, not only with the unending creativity of the artists but also because their works upend our beliefs about gender roles in the ancient world of the Moche civilization."
The Panamarca site, where the throne room was discovered in July, is renowned for its vibrant murals. A neighboring room, named the "Room of Intertwined Snakes," features a mural of a figure with snake-like legs. Other murals depict warriors and a creature pursuing a man.
Jose Ochatoma, an archaeologist, compared the room's artwork to the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, known for Michelangelo's biblical frescoes. He stated, "The wall paintings record scenes from the ideology of the Moche people," offering a rare glimpse into the culture of the coastal region before the Spanish conquest of South America.
Ochatoma noted, "We are uncovering iconography not previously seen in the pre-Hispanic world." Following the decline of the Moche civilization, the Inca Empire later emerged in the same region. Currently, the murals of Panamarca are not open to tourists, as Ochatoma emphasized the importance of covering the excavations to ensure the long-term preservation of this significant cultural heritage.