This exhibit takes currently place at "Musée du Quai Branly", that I have been coloring in my Paris coloring book :)
The exhibit especially focused on the Mochica ancient culture, from 0 to 600 AD.
This culture, among many others such as Cupisnisc, Chimu and Lambayec, played a big role in setting up one of the biggest preHispanic Empire : The Incas.
Ancient civilizations always amazed me by their creativity. This time, I was pleased to discover ancient bottles representing animals (called "Strirred Spout Bottle"). They made so many of them !
An Owl (Picture: Flickr.com)
A Deer (Picture: Pinterest.com)
A Frog (Picture: Metmuseum.org)
Animals have been deified, therefore this community established a strong cosmologic link between the animal world and the human world. Each animal and humans played a fundamental role in the community.
These humans were looking for qualities that animals embodied, such as strength, vivacity and speed.
That's why they represented them so much, I suppose drinking from a bottle representing a strong animal could help you develop the same power...
About sacrifice
After being presented to the population, prisoners were brought inside the sacred temples were they were prepared for sacrifice.
The pictures drawn on bottles and vases help us understand this ceremony : a woman would give the prisoners something to drink (probably psychotropic or hallucinogenic). Then their throat would be cut so that the blood could be poured into the bottles we previously talked about. The same blood could also be poured among the fields in order to fertilize them.
Lastly they talked about the place of the woman in the Mochica society.
Some women were very powerful, they were called "The Capullanas".
The presence of sceptres and crowns in funerary furniture proves that these woman were in charge of the political power, or were part of the governement.
In 2004 was discovered "La Huaca Cao Viejo" , a ceremonial place which was decorated and very colourful.
Inside, "The Lady of Cao" has been buried with her extraordinary funerary garment, composed of nose jewellery, sceptres, war hammers, outfits made of golden copper...
"The Lady of Cao"would be the first woman in power to have been discovered by archeological excavations.
Here are some other pictures of the museum :
Hope your enjoyed this article !
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Keep posted ;)