Assembling the Moche: the power of temporary gatherings on the North Coast of Peru

Temporary, ritualized and infrequent gatherings are commonly defined by an altered material frame, whether intensified, simplified or reconstituted. The establishment of this frame often requires considerable resources and time and can significantly redirect quotidian routines and temporalities in anticipation of the event in question. The author argues that temporary festivals provided one of the principal means to ‘assemble’ larger political alliances among the ancient Moche of northern Peru. DeLanda’s variables of coding and territorialization are employed to interpret how charged, public ceremonies disseminated Moche ideology and profoundly shaped power relations in a region characterized by political decentralization. Therefore, archaeologists investigating temporary gatherings should not restrict analysis to their theatrical dimensions. The deep-reaching power of public spectacles lies not so much in reifying or mystifying social relations but in directly regulating domestic economies and life rhythms beyond the confines of temporary gatherings.