Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient throne room with columns from the Moche civilization on Peru's northern coast. The walls depict a powerful woman seated on a throne, leading experts to label this site in Panyamarca as a unique find.
Project director Jessica Ortiz Zevalos refers to the area where the throne was found as the "Hall of Moche Imagination." This room is surrounded by walls and columns and features four different scenes showcasing a strong woman either on her throne or welcoming a procession of guests.
The Moche civilization thrived between 350 and 850 CE in the coastal valleys of northern Peru, with Panyamarca being the southernmost center of this culture. Known for its elite tombs, impressive architecture, and intricate artistic representations, the Moche also left a rich religious legacy.
This year, a team of Peruvian and American archaeologists discovered a columned room containing evidence of its use by a high-status female leader. The throne room's murals, depicting this leader, represent a unique archaeological find not previously recorded in Moche history.
Other images in the Hall of Moche Imagination include a figure with a human body and spider legs holding a cup, as well as a workshop scene with women weaving and spinning.
Experts debate whether the woman portrayed in the throne room is a historical figure or a mythical representation (priestess, goddess, or queen). However, physical evidence, including throne erosion and recovered materials like green stone beads and human hair, strongly indicates it was occupied by a real woman leader of Panyamarca in the 7th century.
Lisa Trevor, a professor of art history at Columbia University, states, "Panyamarca continues to surprise us not only with the relentless creativity of its artists but also because their works overturn our expectations about gender roles in the ancient Moche world."
Additionally, a second room, known as the "Hall of Intertwined Snakes," was discovered at the corner of the main square in Panyamarca. This hall is notable for its murals depicting a figure composed of intertwined snakes with human legs, alongside images of warriors and anthropomorphized weapons.
"Unlike the throne room, this hall was designed to be a place from which to view larger gatherings and to be seen," says Trevor. "The scale of the imagery on the columns—featuring intertwined snakes, which gave this hall its name—and other drawings of monsters and warriors on the walls could be seen from a greater distance."
Both halls excavated this year are unique in Moche archaeology, and researchers anticipate many more discoveries to come.