- Essay Title.
- Text (1500 words), including:
- A description of the object.
- Its cultural context (where did the object or objects like it come from? What else do we know about the culture that made and used the object?).
- The interpretation of the object, based on archaeological evidence (How was the object used? In what contexts were objects like this found?).
- Literature citations for all the information that you find (author-year in text citation, using Chicago Manual of Style).
If you use other researchers published knowledge and do not cite their work that is using someone else’s words or ideas (even when put into your own words). This requires proper citation and acknowledgement. If you do not, then you are presenting the ideas and words as your own when they are not (this is what plagiarism means). Plagiarism, whether intentional or unintentional, is a very serious academic violation. Almost every statement you make in your paper should be based on research you did, and therefore will have to include at least one citation. A lack of citations will therefore raise red flags because it means that you either did not do the required research and made your argument without basing it on evidence or that you used other people’s work without acknowledging them.
- Reference list of all of the resources you cite from (Chicago style).
- Relevant images with captions and references where they are from (Photos of your object, other objects like it, maps, etc.)
The ancient Moche lived on the arid coast of what is now northern Peru from around 100-800 CE. Most of their towns were located in valleys with rivers fed by snowmelt flowing from the mountains to the ocean. They developed elaborate iconography in order to communicate messages in place of a writing system. The Moche created monumental pyramids and thriving regional centers, temple complexes with intricate murals, tens of thousands of modeled and painted ceramics, complex textiles, and beautiful metal work.They were among the first people to use copper in their work.As skilled agriculturalists, they successfully transformed coastal deserts into viable farmland. The Moche were governed by what some scholars believe to be a hereditary class of “warrior priests.” There were many other prominent roles within the Moche hierarchical structure as well, including several positions held by women.
This stirrup spout vessel is an example of the Moche’s extremely distinct iconography. The vessel depicts a number of creatures, running in a line, who might be messengers traveling from one city to another. In their hands, they carry bags that might have contained messages encoded in beans. The body of a centipede stretches throughout the scene, connecting to the frontmost runner who most likely is a centipede.