Paisajes Arqueológicos de Pañamarca (Archaeological Landscapes of Pañamarca) (2023-2030) is a collaborative effort between Columbia University and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. It investigates, documents, and conserves Moche period (ca. 500-850 CE) murals and architecture at Panamarca, a major center on the southern frontier of Moche influence in northern Peru. Working with local communities, the project seeks to preserve and share this important archaeological and world heritage site. 

The Moche civilization (ca. 300–850 CE) occupied Peru’s north coast and is recognized for its ceramics, monumental adobe structures (huacas), and murals depicting mythical and real beings. Pañamarca, home to adobe platforms, walls, and temples, first gained attention in the 1950s with the discovery of a mural of a Moche priestess. In 2010, Lisa Trever’s team documented new paintings, revealing a once vibrantly painted site filled with dynamic scenes of rituals, pageantry, and epic narratives.  

One of the most striking finds is the “Hall of the Moche Imaginary,” a pillared hall with murals of enigmatic figures, including a two-faced man, warriors with animal features, and mythic battles. Excavations in 2024 uncovered a pillared throne room depicting a high-status female leaderin some instances receiving visitors in procession and, in another, seated upon a throne. She is linked to the moon, the sea, and textile arts, with murals showing women spinning and weaving, as well as a procession of men carrying textiles and her crown. While scholars debate whether she was a priestess, goddess, or queen, physical evidence—such as greenstone beads, fine threads, and human hair—confirms the throne was occupied by a real person, likely a seventh-century female leader. Read more about this discovery in the Archaeology Magazine, where it is listed as the top archaeological discovery of 2024. 

Another major discovery is the “Hall of the Braided Serpents,” a previously unknown monumental structure featuring wide square pillars adorned with intertwining serpents with human legs—a motif not seen elsewhere in Moche art. Other paintings depict warriors, anthropomorphized weapons, and a large monster chasing a man. This hall underwent multiple renewal events, including offerings, burning rituals, and wall whitewashing. Elevated above the plaza, it may have provided an exclusive and private vantage point for observing ceremonies below. Read more about this discovery in the New York Times. 

These discoveries highlight Pañamarca’s artistic innovation, differing from the structured style of the Moche heartland. With many murals still buried in remarkable condition, ongoing research will continue to unveil the secrets of this extraordinary site. 

The archaeological intervention at Pañamarca goes hand-in-hand with conservation efforts. Painted architecture is excavated, stabilized, documented, and studied by a highly skilled team of specialists. Due to their fragility, the mural paintings of Pañamarca are not currently accessible to tourism. “If left open to the elements without a permanent conservation program on site, the invaluable murals of Pañamarca would begin to deteriorate immediately, as we know happened to the murals first uncovered in the 1950s. Therefore, at the end of each of our seasons, and following the regulations and recommendations of the Ministry of Culture, we cover the excavations to ensure the long-term conservation of this important cultural heritage.” says project archaeologist José Antonio Ochatoma Cabrera.