A recent discovery at an archaeological site in Peru has revealed new insights, indicating that women once held positions of power within the ancient Moche civilisation, which thrived along the country’s northwestern coast.
The Panamarca site unveiled a columned chamber containing a worn stone throne and intricate murals. These murals depict a powerful crowned woman, likely a queen, receiving visitors – an imagery steeped in symbolism of moons and marine creatures, estimated to be over 1,300 years old. “This throne room for a queen is unprecedented at Panamarca, or anywhere else in ancient Peru,” the scientific team reported.
The findings, shared by Deutsche Welle, add to the evidence of matriarchal structures in Moche society, preceding the rise of the Inca Empire in the same region.