The Moche civilization (also known as the Mochica) flourished along the northern coast and valleys of ancient Peru, in particular, in the Chicama and Trujillo Valleys, between 1 CE and 800 CE. The Moche state spread to eventually cover an area from the Huarmey Valley in the south to the Piura Valley in the north, and they even extended their influence as far afield as the Chincha Islands. Moche territory was divided linguistically by two separate but related languages: Muchic (spoken north of the Lambayeque Valley) and Quingan. The two areas also display slightly different artistic and architectural trends and so the Moche state may be better described as a loose confederacy rather than a single, unified entity.
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Definition
Timeline
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1 CE - 800 CEThe Moche civilization flourishes in ancient Peru.
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c. 450 CEThe adobe brick pyramids Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna are constructed at Moche, capital of the Moche civilization.
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c. 550 CEMoche is abandoned as the capital of the Moche civilization.
