Archaeologists Uncover Painted Throne Room of a Powerful Moche Woman in Peru!
A remarkable discovery has been made at Pañamarca, an ancient Moche site located in Peru’s Ancash Region, where archaeologists have unearthed a throne room believed to have belonged to a significant female leader from the Moche civilisation.
Pañamarca, perched on a granite hill in the lower Nepeña Valley, was once part of the Moche culture, a prominent Andean society that flourished between the 1st and 8th centuries AD along Peru's northern coastal valleys.
Photo Credit: Lisa Trever / Pañamarca Digital / Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Since 2018, the site has been the focus of the Archaeological Landscapes of Pañamarca project—a collaborative effort involving Peruvian and U.S. archaeologists, art historians, and conservation experts. This ambitious project is supported by institutions such as the National Geographic Society, Columbia University, and the Avenir Conservation Center from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Their primary aim is to uncover the ceremonial practices and artistic expressions that took place at Pañamarca and the surrounding areas.
Photo Credit: Rick Wicker / Pañamarca Digital / Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Photo Credit: Credit: Measured watercolor by Pedro Neciosup / Pañamarca Digital / Denver Museum of Nature & Science
The latest excavation season brought to light an impressive adobe-pillared throne room, referred to as the “Hall of Moche Imaginary” (Sala del Imaginario Moche) by project director Jessica Ortiz Zevallos. The room, with its intricately painted walls and pillars, contains four vivid scenes depicting a powerful woman. In some portrayals, she is shown receiving guests, while in others, she is seated on her throne. These artistic representations are adorned with symbols tied to the crescent moon, marine life, and the crafts of spinning and weaving—important elements of Moche religious imagery.
One of the most striking aspects of the discovery is the throne itself. Its interior features artwork inspired by the sea and night sky, including the image of a crowned woman holding a rattle, represented as the crescent moon. The sides of the throne are embellished with depictions of women spinning fibre, further linking it to the traditional crafts and symbolism of the Moche culture.
Photo Credit: Michele L. Koons, Jorja García, and Lisa Trever / Pañamarca Digital / Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Evidence suggests that this throne was indeed used by a prominent female leader in the 7th century, although scholars continue to debate whether the figure represented is a priestess, goddess, or queen. Wear on the backrest of the throne, along with the discovery of greenstone beads, fine threads, and human hair, indicates that it was occupied by a real individual. As Lisa Trever, a professor of Art History at Columbia University, noted: “Pañamarca keeps surprising us—not just for the remarkable creativity of its painters but because these works are challenging our understanding of gender roles in the ancient Moche world.”