Caballo Muerto

Caballo Muerto is an archaeological complex located on the northern coast of Peru, in the Moche Valley, in the Laredo District of La Libertad Region [1]. The site is located in the middle sector of the Moche valley on the north shore of the river Moche, about 3 km NE of Laredo, Trujillo and about 20 km from the city of Trujillo [1]. It covers 600 hectares where an estimated two thousand people lived [1]. The archaeological complex of Caballo Muerto features stone and adobe constructions, with mud used as mortar [1]. It consists of a dozen ceremonial buildings on constructed platforms, among them the Huaca de los Reyes [1]. Several of these buildings exhibit a "U-shaped" layout that is common for Cupisnique sites [1]. The walls are decorated with reliefs depicting snakes, cats and other images [1]. The economy of the inhabitants of Caballo Muerto was based on the use of irrigated land reclaimed from the desert [1].