1,300-year-old throne room of powerful Moche queen discovered

Archaeologists in Peru have unearthed the throne room of a powerful queen from the Moche culture.

Archaeologists in Peru have discovered a 1,300-year-old throne room decorated with murals depicting a Moche queen, although they have yet to find the queen's remains.

A woman sitting on a throne is talking to a half-man, half-bird man. (Photo: Lisa Trever).

This throne room, found at the Pañamarca archaeological site , dates to the seventh century AD, when the Moche people flourished in the region, archaeologists say. The Moche people flourished in northern Peru between AD 350 and 850 and were known for building elaborate buildings and tombs, as well as creating intricate works of art, such as pottery depicting human faces. They were present before writing was used in Peru.

Although many other queens ruled pre-Inca Peru, a queen's throne room has never been found in Pañamarca or anywhere else in ancient Peru. The throne is made of clay and contains greenstone beads and remnants of human hair. The hair may belong to the queen, and researchers plan to conduct DNA testing.

Remains of a clay throne found at the Pañamarca archaeological site in Peru. (Photo: Lisa Trever).

Murals depicting the ruler were found on the pillars and walls of the throne room, and even on the throne itself. They depict the queen in a variety of ways. One shows the queen wearing a crown and raising a cup. Another depicts a crowned woman holding a scepter, with a procession of men bringing her textiles and other objects. Another depicts her sitting on a throne and speaking to an individual who appears to be half-man, half-bird.

In Moche culture, women becoming rulers was not uncommon. 'Female leaders were not uncommon in ancient Moche society or in the northern Peruvian dynasties that followed ,' said Koons. She added that much of the evidence for female rulers comes from tombs. Among them is 'Señora de Cao,' the tomb of a female Moche mummy who was buried with jewelry, ornaments, and elaborate weapons and equipment to help throw spears and darts farther.