CHIMBOTE, PERU—According to an ArtNet News report, the seventh-century A.D. throne room of a female ruler has been discovered in northwestern Peru at the Moche site of Pañamarca by researchers from the Archaeological Landscapes of Pañamarca, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and Columbia University. The room has been dubbed the Hall of the Moche Imaginary for its paintings, which are said to shed light on Moche beliefs and practices. The throne itself, made of painted adobe, is surrounded by walls and pillars painted with scenes depicting women spinning and weaving, a procession of men carrying a crown, sea creatures, a crowned woman raising a goblet, and a woman sitting on the throne speaking to a bird-man. The team members have also uncovered the monumental Hall of the Braided Serpents, which overlooks a plaza. Its pillars are decorated with images of intertwined snakes and humans, warriors, weapons, and monsters. For more on Pañamarca, go to "Painted Worlds."
