Huaca de la Luna

Huaca de la Luna ("Temple of the Moon") is a monumental adobe structure built by the Moche civilization (c. 100-700 AD) near Trujillo, Peru. Together with Huaca del Sol, it forms the Huacas de Moche complex, the remains of the ancient Moche capital Cerro Blanco. The temple consists of superimposed structures built over six centuries; when one fell out of use, the Moche built another on top, burying old murals and creating new ones. Polychromatic bas-reliefs depict the deity Ai-apaec, warriors, prisoners, and mythical creatures. Excavations began in 1991 under Dr. Santiago Uceda Castillo.