A vast artificial mound, the Huaca del Sol (Pyramid of the Sun) dominates the remains of the great centre at Cerro Blanco (Moche), along with another lesser, but still enormous, mound known as the Huaca de la Luna (Pyramid of the Moon).
Between them lies a great plaza in which have been found traces of the once-abundant residential structures, though these have not been investigated in any detail.
Millions of mudbricks were used in the construction of the Huaca del Sol. Many bear maker's marks representing different teams of builders; the distribution of these shows that the pyramid was constructed in modular blocks, presumably by people from different villages performing the labour they were required to render as tax (corvÈe labour).
Much of the pyramid has been destroyed or has decayed away, but it must originally have been a towering structure composed of stepped platforms. It may have been cross-shaped, with a high central mound flanked by two lower ones. Within it, several elite burials had been placed. The Huaca de la Luna, in contrast, consists of a platform complex with rooms which were once decorated with murals.
These pyramids mark the centre of the Moche realms from around 200 BC to AD 600 when the town was abandoned in favour of Galindo higher up the Moche valley: the move may have been prompted by shifting sand-dunes which clogged up the irrigation channels upon which the local people depended for agriculture.
