We visited this area as part of our "Archaeological Trujillo" tour from the Holland Americ Volendam. The Huaca del Sol is an adobe brick temple built by the Moche civilization (100 CE to 800 CE) on the northern coast of what is now Peru. During the Spanish occupation of Peru in the early 17th century, colonists redirected the waters of the Moche River to run past the base of the Huaca del Sol in order to facilitate the looting of gold artifacts from the temple. The operation of the hydraulic mine greatly damaged the Huaca del Sol. In total, approximately two-thirds of the structure has been lost to erosion and such looting. We drove past this site on our way to and from the Huaca de la Luna but did not stop there. Our main stop was to the smaller but more interesting Huaca de la Luna or the temple of the moon. It is a large adobe brick structure built mainly by the Moche people. The Huaca de la Luna served primarily a ceremonial and religious function, though it contains burials as well. The eastern platform, black rock and adjacent patios were the sites of human sacrifice rituals. These are depicted in a variety of Moche visual arts, most notably painted ceramics. After the sacrifice, bodies of victims would be hurled over the side of the Huaca and left exposed in the patios. Researchers have discovered multiple skeletons of adult males at the foot of the rock, all of whom show signs of trauma, usually a severe blow to the head, as the cause of death.

We stopped here based on local recommendations and found an excellent museum in addition to the temple ruins. The museum, with signs in both Spanish and English, has an astounding display of Moche ceramics and also does a good job of explaining the culture (at least what is known or theorized). Next, the temple. Although you must use a guide to see it, there are English-speaking guides. It was large, constructed entirely of mud bricks, and impressive. My favorite aspect was the decorative paintings covering many walls. We did not go with a tour group; instead we asked our driver to stop there on our way to Huaraz.