Moche

The imagery used by the Moche is similar to that found in other cultures-from the fanged figures, depictions of sexual acts, and a child riding on the back of a large fish or dolphin. What is unique to the Moche culture is the open depiction of disabilities or deformities. The images of the queen include a face shield or lip covering which may have been to sympathize with her people or hide something that she did not like about herself. The openness of this within their art is fairly unusual-typically it is covered up or not shown.

Given the sophistication of their art and the amount of gold found as artifacts, it is hard to believe that so little is known about them. The name of the discovered “queen” is not even known.