<![CDATA[A pair of metal feline claws were found in a 1500-year-old tomb five miles south of the city of Trujillo on the northern coast of Peru. The tomb belonged to a wealthy and elite man of society, researchers speculate, as the claws were also found with "expensive" artifacts such as a copper scepter, mask and earrings. The claws were placed inside the tomb with the body and archaeologists are puzzled as to what purpose they served, or how the man wore them. Some speculate that they were a part of a costume used in ritual combat where the winner got the claws as a prize, while the loser was sacrificed. The claws were found by Peruvian archaeologists at an ancient capital of the Moche (pre-Inca) culture in an urban center that was surrounded by the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon. Spaniards invaded this land and tried to get as much treasure as they could from the area by looting the temples and diverting a river to erode the bricks and wash out the gold from the burials of Moche rulers. Because of this, the Temple of the Sun has been destroyed, but most of the Temple of the Moon is still standing with 200 square feet of murals that depict the life of the Moche people, human sacrifice, their gods, and their history. In the Temple of the Moon, there is a large painting of large felines killing humans. On top of a pyramid-shaped copper scepter is a prominent painting of a face of a feline with its fangs bared. The four sides of the scepter have paintings of warriors and cats. The claws found were akin to the importance felines had in Moche culture. They are thought to have revered big cats and also have deities with feline characteristics, and painted murals and figurines depicting them on walls and even ceramic vessels. The scepter found in the temple was similar to the scepter found in the man's tomb with one exception: the scepter in the man's tomb was made of copper, not gold. This meant that he was a high-ranking member, probably the highest ranked member in a certain area, but was not powerful enough to be thought of as one of the highest leaders in the land. It is believed that he may have been a nobleman, a political leader or a religious leader. The copper mask found also denotes his class. Also found in the tomb buried alongside him were ten decorated ceramic vessels which depict historical figures and figures of Moche legend. There were also some metal blades placed at his hands and feet. The metal claws are being studied further as they provide better insight into the lives and culture of the Moche people. The Moche was a pre-Inca civilization that collapsed around the year 800.]]>
Ancient Metal Feline Claws Found
