Stylistic variation in Moche and Nasca iconography

Abstract

Two of the most well-known ancient Peruvian populations, the Moche and Nasca, have been viewed as contemporary yet with little in common by most archaeologists and historians alike. With the differences of these societies addressed by many researchers of the past, the following research provides a new way of looking at the similarities of Moche and Nasca ceramic iconography and examines how similar icons can be found and were used in both cultures. By investigating the locations in which the ceramics were found, the variation of certain stylistic attributes, and what it is the icons actually represent, this study helps to interpret what functions similar icons, namely the Nasca Killer Whale Motif and the Moche Fish Decapitator, had within two extremely diverse societies.