Huaca del Sol facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Huaca del Sol |
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Panoramic view of temple or Huaca of the Sun
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| Location |  Peru |
| Nearest city | Trujillo |
| Established | Mochica era |
The Huaca del Sol is a giant pyramid made of adobe bricks. It was built by the ancient Moche people. They lived on the northern coast of what is now Peru between 100 AD and 800 AD. This amazing structure is found near the volcanic peak of Cerro Blanco. It is in the desert close to the city of Trujillo, in the Moche Valley. Another important ruin nearby is the Huaca de la Luna, which is smaller but better preserved.
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Building the Huaca del Sol
The Moche people built the Huaca del Sol in many stages. By 450 AD, they had completed eight different building phases. They used a special method where new layers of bricks were placed directly on top of the old ones. This meant they needed a huge number of bricks.
How Many Bricks Were Used?
Experts believe the Huaca del Sol was made from over 130 million adobe bricks. This makes it the largest adobe structure ever built in the Americas before Christopher Columbus arrived. The bricks have different marks on them. These marks show that more than a hundred different communities helped make the bricks for the pyramid.
What Was the Huaca del Sol Used For?
The Huaca del Sol had four main levels. Different Moche rulers added to and rebuilt the structure over time. It was originally about 50 meters (164 feet) tall. Its base measured about 340 meters (1,115 feet) by 160 meters (525 feet). The temple was in the middle of the Moche capital city. It was likely used for important ceremonies and rituals. It also served as a home for the royal family and a burial place.
Challenges and Preservation
During the early 17th century, when the Spanish arrived in Peru, they caused a lot of damage to the Huaca del Sol. They changed the path of the Moche River to flow past the pyramid's base. This was done to make it easier to search for gold artifacts inside the temple.
Damage to the Pyramid
This method of searching for gold, called hydraulic mining, greatly harmed the Huaca del Sol. About two-thirds of the pyramid has been lost due to this damage and other treasure hunting. The part that remains today stands about 41 meters (135 feet) tall.
Ongoing Concerns
Even today, the Huaca del Sol faces challenges. People still try to find treasures, and natural events like El Niño cause erosion. These issues continue to be a concern for protecting this important historical site.
See also
In Spanish: Huacas del Sol y de la Luna para niños
- Huaca de la Luna
- History of Peru
- Pre-Inca cultures
- List of tallest structures built before the 20th century
