San Jose de Moro is a Moche archaeological site in the Pacanga District, Chepén Province, La Libertad Region, of Northwestern Peru.
The site of San Jose de Moro is located in a small community along the banks of the Chamán River in the Jequetepeque District valley of Peru.
The site occupies approximately 10 hectares at about 13 meters above sea level[1] The desert region is sandy and dry in an area of the country that receives almost no rainfall; the arid conditions providing an ideal environment for high preservation of archaeological material.
The floors during the Middle Moche Period reveal 15 cm in diameter post holes that could have supported temporary structures constructed for visitors during funerary events.
The construction of the famous tombs of the priestesses of San Jose de Moro also occurred during this time; these powerful women assumed the roles of governors of the valley.
[4] The Transitional Period (850–1000 AD) at San Jose de Moro represents a time of change as the hegemony of the Moche empire waned and the Lambayeque state rose in power in the valley.
The absence of centralized power during this transitional period allowed for a greater range of cultural expression as evidenced by the various types of artifact traditions found during this time.
[5] The collapse of the Moche in San Jose de Moro was rather abrupt; nevertheless, the site was continually occupied during the Transitional Period.
Relatively large quantities of foreign ceramics appear associated with local burials during the transition, including Wari, Nievería, Atarco, Pativilca, Cajamarca in several phases, and Chachapoyas styles.
[7] Excavations began at San Jose de Moro in 1991 and continue today in a program conducted by Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru and headed by archaeologist Luis Jamie Castillo.
Excavations at the site have yielded three different types of tombs and indications of feasting in the form of large spaces for the production and storage of chicha.
The peculiarity of this 1000 years old figurine dating back to the transition period between Moche and Lambayeque cultures was that there were no other items around it, as it was considered that objects like this used to be buried in graves.
[15] Over the two decades of excavations at San Jose de Moro several burials have been uncovered containing high status female individuals.
The women buried at San Jose de Moro are wearing the same headdresses and are interred with similar “Sacrifice goblets” that are seen in the iconography of these ceremonies.
Their importance in participation in these ritual ceremonies is indicated by the extensive work put into their tombs, their lavish offerings, and the evidence for grand funerary feasts held in their honor.