WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.720 --> 00:00:24.800 Something's going to happen. What's going to happen? What? Welcome 2 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:28.760 to the occult rejects. In this episode, we're going to 3 00:00:28.760 --> 00:00:32.159 be talking about sacred lunar temples across time and cultures. 4 00:00:33.320 --> 00:00:36.840 Ancient civilizations around the world have built monumental temples and 5 00:00:36.880 --> 00:00:41.200 pyramids dedicated to moon deities or celestial forces, reflecting the 6 00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:45.799 profound significance of lunar worship and cosmic order in human history. 7 00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:51.719 This deep exploration focuses on four remarkable structures, the Wakadilla 8 00:00:51.799 --> 00:00:55.840 Luna in Peru, the Great Ziggurat of Ore in Mesopotamia, 9 00:00:56.439 --> 00:00:59.439 the Temple of Consu at Karnak in Egypt, and the 10 00:00:59.479 --> 00:01:04.319 Pyramid of the Moon at Tiotioacan in Mexico. Each site 11 00:01:04.439 --> 00:01:07.879 arose in a distinct culture and era, yet all served 12 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:11.840 as grand ceremonial centers linked to the moon or moon gods, 13 00:01:12.439 --> 00:01:18.120 rich in symbolism, ritual, and myth. In this episode, we 14 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:25.400 delve into the history, cultural context, religious beliefs, architectural features, excavations, 15 00:01:25.879 --> 00:01:31.519 modern legacy, and legends surrounding each sacred site. These ancient 16 00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:34.879 sites not only illuminate the people who built them. From 17 00:01:34.920 --> 00:01:38.400 the Mochi of Peru, to the Sumerians, Egyptians, and the 18 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:43.239 t Ti Juacanos, but also highlight humanities enduring fascination with 19 00:01:43.319 --> 00:01:48.239 the heavens and the divine. By examining academic findings and 20 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:51.680 local law alike, we gain a comprehensive view of how 21 00:01:51.719 --> 00:01:55.599 these lunar temples functioned as both practical centers of society 22 00:01:55.959 --> 00:02:02.159 and mystical nexuses of spiritual power. In a journey spanning 23 00:02:02.200 --> 00:02:05.760 continents and millennia, we will see how each monument's story 24 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:11.039 intertwines religion, power, art, and even the occult, leaving a 25 00:02:11.120 --> 00:02:16.199 legacy that still captivates scholars and seekers today. At first, 26 00:02:16.280 --> 00:02:19.759 we will start with Waca de la Luna. The Waca 27 00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:22.639 de la Luna Spanish for Temple of the Moon is 28 00:02:22.680 --> 00:02:25.840 a massive terrace adobe pyramid built by the Mokei culture 29 00:02:25.879 --> 00:02:29.759 of Peru's north coast roughly between one hundred to eight 30 00:02:29.879 --> 00:02:34.919 hundred SEE. Together with its companion Juaca del Soul Temple 31 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:37.960 of the Sun, it formed the ceremonial heart of the 32 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:41.719 ancient Mochi capital city, which, at its height around six 33 00:02:41.759 --> 00:02:47.080 hundred CE, may have housed twenty five thousand people. The 34 00:02:47.159 --> 00:02:51.439 Mochi were a highly sophisticated civilization of the Early Intermediate period, 35 00:02:52.159 --> 00:02:58.000 known for their elaborate pottery, irrigation, engineering, and powerful religious rituals. 36 00:02:59.080 --> 00:03:01.800 They erected Waca de la Luna against the backdrop of 37 00:03:01.879 --> 00:03:05.960 Cerro Blanco, a white sandstone mountain regarded as an apu, 38 00:03:06.199 --> 00:03:11.080 or sacred being. According to local legend, the temple's very 39 00:03:11.159 --> 00:03:14.680 origin is tied to this holy peak. When a two 40 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:18.719 headed serpent demon terrorized the valley, the mountain opened up 41 00:03:18.759 --> 00:03:23.280 to swallow the monster, saving the people. In gratitude, de 42 00:03:23.400 --> 00:03:25.759 Moche built the Waca de la Luna to honor the 43 00:03:25.800 --> 00:03:30.680 protective mountain god. This myth, still told by villages today, 44 00:03:31.159 --> 00:03:33.759 imbused the site with a lore of divine intervention and 45 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:39.000 underscores how closely religion was linked to the natural landscape. 46 00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:42.360 The Waca de la Luna was constructed in stages over centuries, 47 00:03:43.039 --> 00:03:46.280 with each new phase literally built atop the previous one, 48 00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:51.199 as excavators discovered. The pyramid contains a series of earlier, 49 00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:57.159 smaller temples nested within their colorful murals remarkably preserved inside 50 00:03:57.199 --> 00:04:01.280 the protective adobe layers. The external dimensions of the final 51 00:04:01.319 --> 00:04:05.360 structure are vast. The temple consists of multiple broad terraces 52 00:04:05.360 --> 00:04:10.599 and platforms made from millions of sun dried ud bricks adobees. Fascinatingly, 53 00:04:11.159 --> 00:04:14.879 many bricks bear distinct markings or symbols, over one hundred 54 00:04:14.919 --> 00:04:18.399 different signs in total, which likely indicate the work crews 55 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:22.879 or communities that produced them. Scholars suggest the bricks were 56 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:25.879 signed in this way for accounting and perhaps to forster 57 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:30.240 a healthy competition or sense of contribution among subject villages. 58 00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:34.680 Such collaboration hints at a large, organized labour force under 59 00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:38.639 elite supervision. Indeed, the Waca de la Luna and the 60 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:43.079 Waca del Soul together dominated the Mochi urban center, reflecting 61 00:04:43.079 --> 00:04:47.360 a theocratic society where monumental constructions served both religious and 62 00:04:47.399 --> 00:04:52.839 political ends. The Spanish Conquista doors heavily looted and damaged 63 00:04:52.879 --> 00:04:56.360 the Waca del Soul in the seventeenth century, but wacadal 64 00:04:56.439 --> 00:05:01.040 Luna was left relatively untouched by the Spaniards. As a result, 65 00:05:01.560 --> 00:05:04.519 Waca de la Luna has yielded far more information in 66 00:05:04.600 --> 00:05:09.959 modern times. Professional archaeological excavations began in the nineteen nineties, 67 00:05:10.399 --> 00:05:16.399 led by Peruvian archaeologists Santiago Ueda and Ricardo Morales, among others. 68 00:05:17.959 --> 00:05:21.759 They uncovered tons of artifacts and art, revealing the site's 69 00:05:21.800 --> 00:05:24.879 function in history. We now know that the Waca de 70 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:29.680 la Luna primarily served ceremonial and religious purposes, in contrast 71 00:05:29.720 --> 00:05:34.279 to Jaca del Soul's administrative and residential roles. Within Waca 72 00:05:34.279 --> 00:05:40.480 de la Luna's multi level complex, archaeologists identify different activity areas, 73 00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:43.800 a central and southern platform that held high status burials 74 00:05:44.360 --> 00:05:47.839 likely priests and religious elite, buried with fine ceramics, and 75 00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:51.240 a lower plaza in stone outcrop used for ritual combat 76 00:05:51.319 --> 00:05:56.800 in human sacrifice. The northern platform, once richly decorated, was 77 00:05:56.879 --> 00:06:01.319 unfortunately destroyed by looters. In the past, the Mochi had 78 00:06:01.319 --> 00:06:05.879 a vivid religious life centered on appeasing powerful deities associated 79 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:10.560 with natural forces like weather and fertility. At Waka de 80 00:06:10.720 --> 00:06:14.519 la Luna, the most dramatic rituals were human sacrifices, carried 81 00:06:14.519 --> 00:06:18.800 out to invoke divine favor, especially in response to environmental 82 00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:24.079 stresses such as droughts or El Nino floods. The temple's 83 00:06:24.120 --> 00:06:28.639 polychrome freezes and wall murals, many well preserved, depict fearsome 84 00:06:28.680 --> 00:06:33.279 gods and ceremonial scenes. Chief among these is the fanged 85 00:06:33.319 --> 00:06:40.199 deity i ipeic aiapae c called the Decapitator, who appears 86 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:44.240 as a half human, half beast figure brandishing severed heads. 87 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:49.279 The Mochi believed such god's demanded blood offerings. On the 88 00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:54.079 eastern plaza by a black rock face. Priests performed ritual combat. 89 00:06:54.839 --> 00:06:58.639 Captive warriors or chosen combatants fought and gladier like duels. 90 00:06:59.399 --> 00:07:04.360 The often young male warriors were then sacrificed atop the oaka, 91 00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:09.480 their throats slit, bodies, dismembered or defleshed. Priestly attendants would 92 00:07:09.480 --> 00:07:12.360 present the victim's blood to the gods, as vividly shown 93 00:07:12.439 --> 00:07:15.360 in Moki art where priestesses offer goblets of blood to 94 00:07:15.399 --> 00:07:18.839 supernatural beings. The corpses were rolled off the pyramid to 95 00:07:18.920 --> 00:07:22.399 lie broken in the courtyard below, left for vultures and 96 00:07:22.439 --> 00:07:27.680 the elements. Such treatment, denial of burial mutilation of bodies 97 00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:32.879 indicates these were war captives or outsiders, not esteemed community members. 98 00:07:34.199 --> 00:07:38.360 This aligns with the recent scientific studies. Chemical analysis of 99 00:07:38.439 --> 00:07:41.639 bones and teeth from seventy sacrificial victims at Waka de 100 00:07:41.800 --> 00:07:45.839 la Luna showed many came from distant valleys, supporting the 101 00:07:45.879 --> 00:07:48.680 idea that they were war captives taken in conflict with 102 00:07:48.879 --> 00:07:53.199 rival groups. As one researcher put it, they look like 103 00:07:53.279 --> 00:07:57.920 war captives, not local elites. Over time, the geographic origin 104 00:07:57.959 --> 00:08:03.319 of victims seemed to have shifted farther away. Inside the temple, 105 00:08:03.879 --> 00:08:08.439 the Mochi created stunning paintings that embodied their cosmology. The 106 00:08:08.519 --> 00:08:12.000 walls were once painted in bright hues of red, yellow, white, black, 107 00:08:12.079 --> 00:08:16.879 and blue. One prominent freeze shows rows of spiderlike supernatural 108 00:08:16.920 --> 00:08:21.120 figures and warriors, possibly re enacting myth battles or processions. 109 00:08:22.279 --> 00:08:25.519 Another mural features a giant sea monster or a serpent. 110 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:31.160 These artistic motifs reflect Mochi mythic themes, such as the 111 00:08:31.199 --> 00:08:34.279 mountain snake legend mentioned earlier, or the presence of the 112 00:08:34.279 --> 00:08:40.360 wrinkle faced god identified by Inca descendants. Importantly, archaeologists have 113 00:08:40.399 --> 00:08:43.279 found evidence that Moki priests at Juaca de la Luna 114 00:08:43.639 --> 00:08:48.840 used hallucinogenic San Pedro cactus during rituals. The mescaline induced 115 00:08:48.840 --> 00:08:51.879 trans may have helped priests communicate with their fierce gods, 116 00:08:52.200 --> 00:08:55.799 perhaps explaining the often terrifying of the worldly imagery on 117 00:08:55.840 --> 00:08:59.519 the temple walls. The half human, half spider deity through 118 00:08:59.559 --> 00:09:04.039 these rich rules, sacrifices, blood offerings, and trance ceremonies. The 119 00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:08.440 Mochi sought to secure agricultural fertility and climatic stability. Their 120 00:09:08.480 --> 00:09:12.200 arid environment was prone to droughts punctuated by catastrophic al 121 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:16.639 Nino rains. Indeed, climate research indicates that around five thirty 122 00:09:16.679 --> 00:09:20.879 six CE, a super El Nino triggered thirty years of floods, 123 00:09:20.919 --> 00:09:24.120 followed by thirty years of drought, which corresponds with the 124 00:09:24.120 --> 00:09:28.919 weakening of Moki society. The massive outpourings of sacrifices that 125 00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:31.679 Waca da La Luna may have been attempts to placate 126 00:09:31.720 --> 00:09:35.320 the angry gods of weather, though ultimately these efforts failed 127 00:09:35.320 --> 00:09:40.639 to prevent environmental collapse. Waka Da La Luna's most striking 128 00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:43.840 features are its multi colored beliefs and the sheer scale 129 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:48.440 of construction. The temple was built entirely of adobe mud bricks, 130 00:09:48.799 --> 00:09:52.120 with an estimated fifty million bricks used between it and 131 00:09:52.200 --> 00:09:57.080 Waca del Sol. Up close, the walls reveal alternating levels 132 00:09:57.080 --> 00:10:01.120 of construction, like a layer cake of religious phases. In 133 00:10:01.159 --> 00:10:04.720 some sections, you can see earlier murals buried by later expansions, 134 00:10:04.919 --> 00:10:09.000 giving archaeologists a stratified timeline of Mochi art and iconography. 135 00:10:09.399 --> 00:10:12.639 One famous mural inside depicts a giant face of eyeopek 136 00:10:12.720 --> 00:10:16.320 with gaping mouth and feline fangs, surrounded by a withering 137 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:21.320 border of serpents and inimatic figures, hence the nickname decapitator God. 138 00:10:22.200 --> 00:10:25.960 Other panels show processions of priests or warriors in supernatural 139 00:10:25.960 --> 00:10:29.200 creatures like dragons or spiders, all rendered in a bold, 140 00:10:29.279 --> 00:10:33.639 flat style with red as a dominant color. The iconography 141 00:10:33.720 --> 00:10:37.840 encodes Mochi cosmology. Spiders and snakes relate to water and earth, 142 00:10:38.200 --> 00:10:42.080 decapitation relates to renewing fertility. The mountain is ever present 143 00:10:42.120 --> 00:10:45.200 as a sacred form. Even the placement of the waka 144 00:10:45.240 --> 00:10:49.360 is symbolic. It nestles at the base of Cerroblanco, integrating 145 00:10:49.399 --> 00:10:53.639 a natural, sacred mountain as part of the ritual landscape. 146 00:10:53.720 --> 00:10:56.840 The Moki likely viewed the waca and mountain together as 147 00:10:56.840 --> 00:10:59.759 the dwelling of gods. The legend of the mountain opening 148 00:10:59.759 --> 00:11:03.000 to eat to serpents suggests the mountain itself was personified 149 00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:06.200 as a deity. Thus, the Waca della Luna was not 150 00:11:06.320 --> 00:11:10.480 literally a moon temple in the sense of observing lunar phases. Rather, 151 00:11:10.519 --> 00:11:13.080 it was a temple where the moon, or more precisely, 152 00:11:13.159 --> 00:11:16.320 the night time, the water, the fertility associated with the 153 00:11:16.320 --> 00:11:19.120 moon and weather was honoured through the mountain God in 154 00:11:19.159 --> 00:11:23.200 the blood of sacrifices. The Spanish named Temple of the 155 00:11:23.240 --> 00:11:26.440 Moon might have been inspired by local lore as simply 156 00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:28.360 to pair it with the Temple of the Sun across 157 00:11:28.399 --> 00:11:32.879 the way. Some scholars surmise the Mochi wakas were aligned 158 00:11:32.919 --> 00:11:37.759 to astronomical events, but direct evidence is limited. What is 159 00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:40.679 clear is that the Waca de la Luna's orientation was 160 00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:45.080 strongly tied to Cera Blanco immediately behind it. In essence, 161 00:11:45.399 --> 00:11:49.320 the pyramid's facade faces the mountain, as if offering itself 162 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:53.080 to the sacred peak. This is akin to tot Wakan's Pyramid 163 00:11:53.120 --> 00:11:56.320 of the Moon mirroring the Serro Gordo Mountain, a common 164 00:11:56.399 --> 00:12:00.080 ancient practice of aligning temples with prominent landscape features to 165 00:12:00.159 --> 00:12:05.240 enhance their sacred power. Modern excavation of a Waka dal 166 00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:09.440 la Luna has been exceptionally fruitful. In the nineteen nineties 167 00:12:09.480 --> 00:12:14.120 and two thousands, Peruvian and international teams uncovered plazas filled 168 00:12:14.120 --> 00:12:18.480 with sacrificial remains. In one famous nineteen ninety five find, 169 00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:22.919 archaeologist Steve borgey encountered a mass grave of forty two 170 00:12:23.080 --> 00:12:26.080 young men at the foot of the temple sacrificial rock, 171 00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:31.679 all apparently killed in one ritual event. The skeletons showed 172 00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:36.360 signs of violent death, skulls crushed by blunt force and dismemberment. 173 00:12:37.480 --> 00:12:40.399 Some skulls were even turned into skull caps for drinking, 174 00:12:40.799 --> 00:12:46.000 a grizzly practice also depicted in Moki pottery. These discoveries 175 00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:50.159 corroborated what Mochi art had long hinted. The Mochi elite 176 00:12:50.159 --> 00:12:55.720 conducted large scale, programmatic sacrifices during ceremonies, likely tied to 177 00:12:55.799 --> 00:13:02.720 phenomena like solar eclipses, torrential rains, or political installations. More 178 00:13:02.759 --> 00:13:07.679 recent bioarchaeological studies, such as by John Verano and Jye 179 00:13:07.720 --> 00:13:12.159 Maria Toyne, used oxygen isotope analysis on victim's teeth to 180 00:13:12.279 --> 00:13:18.000 determine their geographic origin. The results, as mentioned, showed a 181 00:13:18.039 --> 00:13:21.200 significant portion were not local to the Mochi capital, but 182 00:13:21.320 --> 00:13:25.240 hailed from far flung regions, supporting the idea of expanding 183 00:13:25.279 --> 00:13:30.200 warfare and Princess exchanges among Moki's centers. Even high status 184 00:13:30.240 --> 00:13:33.159 women buried at the site appeared to come from other valleys, 185 00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:38.360 hinting at patrilocal marriage alliances. Such scientific detective work has 186 00:13:38.440 --> 00:13:41.879 greatly enriched our understanding of Mochi's social dynamics and the 187 00:13:41.960 --> 00:13:46.639 role of Wakadilla Luna in a broader political sphere. The 188 00:13:46.759 --> 00:13:50.919 artifacts recovered include fine ceramics portraying the very rituals performed 189 00:13:50.919 --> 00:13:54.519 on the site, as well as TecTiles, metal objects, and tools. 190 00:13:55.080 --> 00:14:00.559 Particularly invaluable though mochis stirrup spout pots painted with sacrificial scenes, 191 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:06.279 bound prisoners with ropes, priests in elaborate costumes wielding knives 192 00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:09.399 and cups catching blood. It's as if the Mochi left 193 00:14:09.399 --> 00:14:14.200 a pictorial record to be decoded alongside the archaeological record. 194 00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:17.480 Some tombs found within the waka held Moki priests or 195 00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:22.360 dignitaries buried with ornaments and effigy vessels. These reveal that 196 00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:25.799 despite the gruesome sacrifices, the Mochi also buried their own 197 00:14:25.799 --> 00:14:29.440 elite reverently within the temples, likely to deify them or 198 00:14:29.480 --> 00:14:33.600 place them closer to the gods and death. Today, Waka 199 00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:35.600 de La Luna stands as one of the most best 200 00:14:35.639 --> 00:14:40.279 preserved pre Columbian temples in Peru. After centuries of abandonment 201 00:14:40.360 --> 00:14:43.320 and partial burial by desert sands. It was open to 202 00:14:43.320 --> 00:14:47.600 public visitors only in twenty eleven, once stabilization efforts made 203 00:14:47.600 --> 00:14:51.879 it safe. The World Monuments Fund and Peru's Ministry of 204 00:14:51.919 --> 00:14:56.639 Culture have undertaken significant conservation projects, shoring up the adobe 205 00:14:56.720 --> 00:15:00.440 terraces and conserving the delicate murals. The ways in a 206 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:03.080 site museum have been established soor tourists can view the 207 00:15:03.159 --> 00:15:07.440 multi colored freezes up close. In recent decades, the site 208 00:15:07.480 --> 00:15:11.799 has become an educational window into Mochi civilization, often compared 209 00:15:11.799 --> 00:15:16.320 in importance to Macho Picchu. It also has occasionally attracted 210 00:15:16.399 --> 00:15:19.679 spiritual New Age visitors, drawn by the vibes of the 211 00:15:19.679 --> 00:15:24.279 ancient ritual center. Some modern spiritualists speculate that places like 212 00:15:24.360 --> 00:15:27.639 Waca Della Luna sit on Earth energy nodes or lay lines, 213 00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:31.879 though there is no scientific evidence of that. What is 214 00:15:31.960 --> 00:15:35.200 tangible is the alignment with Cerro Blanco and the intentional 215 00:15:35.240 --> 00:15:39.279 sacred geography crafted by the Mochi. The legends and lore 216 00:15:39.360 --> 00:15:43.759 of Waca Dela Luna continue to captivate the imagination. Local 217 00:15:43.799 --> 00:15:48.039 storytellers still recount how the mountains save their ancestors, marking 218 00:15:48.080 --> 00:15:50.360 the rock with a black scar where it opened and 219 00:15:50.440 --> 00:15:53.720 shut on the serpent, and the memory of the Mochi 220 00:15:53.759 --> 00:15:58.279 priests magic lives on. For instance, shamanic practitioners in the 221 00:15:58.279 --> 00:16:01.679 region today sometimes invoke the Moki and their wakas as 222 00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:06.519 sources of ancient power. Why academic researchers focus on pottery 223 00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:10.919 shards and isotope ratios. Local communities see Waca dela lunas 224 00:16:10.919 --> 00:16:15.360 as part of their cultural heritage and even supernatural landscape. 225 00:16:15.480 --> 00:16:19.240 It's a place where, in folk belief, spirits of sacrificed 226 00:16:19.279 --> 00:16:22.360 warriors might still roam, or where the mountain spirit watches 227 00:16:22.399 --> 00:16:27.159 over the valley. Thus, Wakadala Luna exemplifies an archaeological site 228 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:29.879 that is at once a treasure trove of scientific data 229 00:16:29.960 --> 00:16:34.840 and a living wellspring of myth. The Wakadla Luna was 230 00:16:34.840 --> 00:16:37.840 a ceremonial pyramid that played a pivotal role in Mokei 231 00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:42.600 religion and society. Through its imposing architecture and vivid art, 232 00:16:43.240 --> 00:16:46.600 it mediated between the Moki people and their gods, especially 233 00:16:46.679 --> 00:16:51.440 during desperate times of climate upheaval The temple saw lavish ceremonies, 234 00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:55.120 grewsome sacrifices of war captives to nourish the gods with blood, 235 00:16:55.480 --> 00:17:00.360 and likely periodic festivals to renew the land's fertility. Around 236 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:03.879 the eighth century, as the Mochi civilization declined, possibly due 237 00:17:03.919 --> 00:17:08.039 to environmental disasters and internal strife, the Waca's de Mooch 238 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:11.720 site was later used by subsequent cultures, the Chimu and 239 00:17:11.720 --> 00:17:16.000 then briefly the Inca before the Spanish conquest. Centuries of 240 00:17:16.039 --> 00:17:18.680 Wind and Sun reduced its outer layers to a crumbling 241 00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:23.960 brown mound, concealing the polychrome wonders inside. Thanks to archaeology, 242 00:17:24.440 --> 00:17:26.920 we have peeled back those layers to reveal a striking 243 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:29.680 portrait of a people whom the boundary between the natural 244 00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:33.319 and supernatural was thin, and who believed that through ritual 245 00:17:33.319 --> 00:17:37.440 bloodshed atop their moon temple, they could harness divine forces 246 00:17:37.480 --> 00:17:41.880 to sustain their world. As we leave the Huaca de 247 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:44.599 la Luna, we will now head over to the Zigarat 248 00:17:44.680 --> 00:17:48.759 of R in the desert of southern Iraq, rises a 249 00:17:48.839 --> 00:17:52.680 huge brown mass of brick, The Great Zigarat of R, 250 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:56.519 an ancient Mesopotamian temple built over four thousand years ago. 251 00:17:57.720 --> 00:18:00.680 This majestic step pyramid was the spirit virtual center of 252 00:18:00.680 --> 00:18:04.759 the Sumerian city of Ure, dedicated to the moon god Nana, 253 00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:09.559 known as Sin in Akkadian. Today, its partially reconstructed lower 254 00:18:09.640 --> 00:18:12.480 tiers and grand staircase gave a glimpse of its original 255 00:18:12.519 --> 00:18:16.599 glory and the advanced society that created it. The Cigaratte 256 00:18:16.599 --> 00:18:18.440 of Eua has the distinction of being one of the 257 00:18:18.519 --> 00:18:23.640 largest and best preserved czigarotes of Mesopotamia. It also carries 258 00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:27.079 layers of cultural memory. It is linked to the biblical 259 00:18:27.119 --> 00:18:31.240 patriarch Abraham, who, according to tradition, was born in Eure 260 00:18:31.640 --> 00:18:34.799 and was restored by kings in antiquity and modernity alike. 261 00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:38.480 It survived wars and even hosted an interfaith prayer by 262 00:18:38.519 --> 00:18:43.640 Pope Francis in twenty twenty one. The Zigarot's long history 263 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:47.640 and symbolism encapsulate the rise of urban civilization and organized 264 00:18:47.680 --> 00:18:52.519 religion in the Fertile Crescent. The Czigaatte was built around 265 00:18:52.519 --> 00:18:57.880 twenty one hundred BCE by King yur Nammu, founder of 266 00:18:57.920 --> 00:19:00.680 the third dynasty of Ure, and completed by his son 267 00:19:01.119 --> 00:19:06.359 King Shulgai. Urnamo's reign saw a renaissance of Sumerian culture. 268 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:09.000 In building a monumental temple was both an act of 269 00:19:09.079 --> 00:19:13.960 piety and a statement of royal power. The ziggurat formed 270 00:19:13.960 --> 00:19:17.799 the base of a temple complex within yours sacred precinct. 271 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:22.680 Its Sumerian ceremonial name was e lemon Ni Guru house 272 00:19:22.720 --> 00:19:27.839 whose foundation creates terror, or perhaps house of the foundation 273 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:33.079 of God's dwelling. Yoranamu dedicated this structure in honor of 274 00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:37.640 Nana or Sin, the patron deity of Europe. Nana was 275 00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:40.359 the god of the moon, depicted as a wise provider 276 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:44.599 of fertility and timekeeping. Atop the zigarat, a shrine would 277 00:19:44.599 --> 00:19:47.039 have housed a statue of Nana, and it was here 278 00:19:47.079 --> 00:19:50.279 that priests performed rites and presented offerings on behalf of 279 00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:55.680 the city. The cigarat's towering height meant the shrine's sword 280 00:19:55.759 --> 00:20:00.000 above the plane, a bridge between earth and heaven. Originally 281 00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:03.599 it was said to be about thirty meters high, dominating 282 00:20:03.720 --> 00:20:09.359 the city skyline. Ordinary citizens likely only saw the lower terraces. 283 00:20:09.480 --> 00:20:12.559 Only clergy and perhaps the royal family ascended to the summit. 284 00:20:13.119 --> 00:20:16.880 As one scholar analogized the ziggurat and its crowning temple 285 00:20:17.079 --> 00:20:20.319 would have been visible for miles around, like the spire 286 00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:26.880 of a medieval cathedral, guiding travelers and awing pilgrims from Afar. Yours, economy, 287 00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:30.279 and society were strongly tied to this temple. Records on 288 00:20:30.359 --> 00:20:33.519 clay tablets indicate the Nona Temple owned vast herds of 289 00:20:33.559 --> 00:20:37.119 cattle and sheep and received ties of grain, which were 290 00:20:37.160 --> 00:20:41.359 redistributed to support clergy and feed the populace. Thus, the 291 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:44.400 ziggurat complex functioned not only as a religious spot, but 292 00:20:44.440 --> 00:20:49.200 also an administrative center for storage and redistribution, a cornerstone 293 00:20:49.240 --> 00:20:53.440 of the city state's economy. It's likely that the citizens 294 00:20:53.440 --> 00:20:56.720 of Europe brought their agricultural surplus to the temple storehouse 295 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:02.440 and in return received regular rations beer dates, a practice 296 00:21:02.440 --> 00:21:06.559 attested in other Mesopotamian temples. In this way, devotion and 297 00:21:06.640 --> 00:21:10.359 daily life were intertwined. Serving the Moon God also meant 298 00:21:10.359 --> 00:21:14.799 feeding the people. The Great Ziggurat stood intact for over 299 00:21:14.839 --> 00:21:19.720 a thousand years. In the sixth century BCE, the Babylonian 300 00:21:19.799 --> 00:21:26.680 king Nabonitis carried out a major restoration of the dilapidated ziggurat. Nabonitis, 301 00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:30.160 an antiquarian of sorts, claimed in inscriptions that he dug 302 00:21:30.200 --> 00:21:34.400 to the foundation and rebuilt it in seven stages. By 303 00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:38.319 doing so, he was consciously emulating Your's ancient kings and 304 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:43.599 honoring the moon God, whom he particularly revered. After the 305 00:21:43.640 --> 00:21:47.920 Babylonian period, Ure and its Zigarot fell into obscurity. The 306 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:50.880 city was abandoned by the late first millennium BCE, as 307 00:21:50.920 --> 00:21:55.240 shifting rivers made the area less habitable when blown sand 308 00:21:55.240 --> 00:21:59.759 engulfed much of the Ziggarot's upper structure over time. Fast 309 00:21:59.799 --> 00:22:02.839 forward to the nineteenth and twentieth century CE, when the 310 00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:06.640 site was rediscovered and excavated. The remains of the Zigaratte 311 00:22:06.680 --> 00:22:10.680 was identified in eighteen fifty by British traveler William Loftus, 312 00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:14.000 and full scale excavations were led by Sir Leonard Woolley 313 00:22:14.119 --> 00:22:18.359 in the nineteen twenties to thirties. Willy's work, a joint 314 00:22:18.440 --> 00:22:21.319 venture of the British Museum and the University of Pennsylvania, 315 00:22:21.799 --> 00:22:25.039 not only uncovered the Zigarot's base and dimensions, but also 316 00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:29.160 famuously found the Royal Tombs of Eure nearby, rich with 317 00:22:29.240 --> 00:22:35.319 gold and artifacts. Willie's dig revealed the Zigarot's construction, a 318 00:22:35.359 --> 00:22:38.480 core of sun baked mud bricks faced with a thick 319 00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:43.240 skin of fire bricks set in bunamen. This waterproofing budamin 320 00:22:43.319 --> 00:22:45.759 layer protected the mud core from the rain and gave 321 00:22:45.799 --> 00:22:51.279 the structure great durability. The massive rectangular platform measured roughly 322 00:22:51.359 --> 00:22:54.440 sixty four by forty five meters at its base and 323 00:22:54.519 --> 00:22:58.160 had three levels of terraces, originally raising about seventy two 324 00:22:58.119 --> 00:23:02.359 one hundred feet high. The Zigaratte was orientated precisely to 325 00:23:02.440 --> 00:23:06.519 true north, reflecting the Sumerian sophisticated grasp of alignment and 326 00:23:06.599 --> 00:23:11.960 perhaps cosmology. Three monumental staircases of one hundred steps each 327 00:23:12.319 --> 00:23:16.000 climbed the front facade, one central and one on each side, 328 00:23:16.359 --> 00:23:19.160 converging at a gate on the first terrace. Then a 329 00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:22.359 single stairway continued to the second terrace and onto the 330 00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:26.920 top platform, where the holy sanctuary stood. The image is 331 00:23:26.920 --> 00:23:30.960 that of a grand staged mountain, a man made sacred 332 00:23:31.000 --> 00:23:35.359 mountain which in the flat floodplain of Mesopotamia served as 333 00:23:35.400 --> 00:23:39.599 an artificial high place for the god to dwell. In 334 00:23:39.640 --> 00:23:44.519 Sumerian mythology, gods often met on mountaintops, since natural mountains 335 00:23:44.559 --> 00:23:47.240 were far to the east. Zigurattes fulfilled that role in 336 00:23:47.319 --> 00:23:51.960 the cities. The top temple, sometimes called the Jiparu if 337 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:55.079 it was. Like later moon temples in Europe, unfortunately has 338 00:23:55.160 --> 00:23:59.000 not survived. However, a few glazed bricks of deep blue 339 00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:02.319 color have been found on the summit ruins, hinting that 340 00:24:02.359 --> 00:24:05.799 the shrine may have been ornately decorated, possibly with a 341 00:24:05.839 --> 00:24:08.960 facade of blue glazed brick or tile to represent the sky. 342 00:24:10.279 --> 00:24:12.799 In it would have been the statue of Nana, along 343 00:24:12.839 --> 00:24:17.279 with rich furnishings. During religious festivals, likely tied to the 344 00:24:17.319 --> 00:24:20.799 lunar cycle, the priests would bring offerings up the zigarat 345 00:24:20.839 --> 00:24:25.079 and perhaps conduct ceremonies on the platform. One can imagine 346 00:24:25.079 --> 00:24:28.000 the silver light of the full moon shining directly upon 347 00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:31.400 the high temple of the moon God, an or inspiring 348 00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:36.319 nocturnal sight for ancient Europe. Nana or Sin, the moon God, 349 00:24:36.759 --> 00:24:39.279 was one of the chief deities in the Shamerian pantheon. 350 00:24:39.880 --> 00:24:43.119 Considered the son of Alil, the air god and father 351 00:24:43.160 --> 00:24:46.359 of Utu Shamash, the sun god, and inan or Ishtar, 352 00:24:46.480 --> 00:24:50.279 the venus goddess, he was depicted as a wise, benevolent god, 353 00:24:50.640 --> 00:24:54.319 often symbolized by the crescent moon. The people of Europe 354 00:24:54.319 --> 00:24:57.799 believed Nana watched over their city and flocks, making the 355 00:24:57.839 --> 00:25:01.359 herds fertile and the harvest plentiful. His temple was called 356 00:25:01.400 --> 00:25:05.720 Igischergal House of the Great Light, and the zigaratte below 357 00:25:05.839 --> 00:25:08.640 was essentially a means to elevate that house closer to 358 00:25:08.680 --> 00:25:14.000 the heavens. The Mesopotamia religion, a god's essence could reside 359 00:25:14.039 --> 00:25:17.960 in their cult statue, which was tended too daily with food, incense, 360 00:25:18.039 --> 00:25:22.599 and prayer. So Inure, the priests would offer sacrifices of 361 00:25:22.680 --> 00:25:26.160 bulls and lambs to Nana, burn seated resin for its 362 00:25:26.160 --> 00:25:29.720 fragrant smoke, and perform hymns in rituals composed in summary. 363 00:25:30.880 --> 00:25:34.000 The king, as the high steward of the god, would 364 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:37.680 partake in ceremonies, especially during New Year festivals or eclipses. 365 00:25:39.160 --> 00:25:42.160 An interesting facet is that the lunar calendar was important 366 00:25:42.200 --> 00:25:46.039 for timing rituals and administrative schedules. Being the city of 367 00:25:46.079 --> 00:25:48.640 the moon deity, Yure would have been a center of 368 00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:54.480 astronomical observation. It's plausible that the ziggurat's height allowed priests 369 00:25:54.519 --> 00:25:58.039 to observe the moon and stars without obstruction. Those zigurats 370 00:25:58.039 --> 00:26:03.000 were not simple observatories. The cosmic connection was inherent. The 371 00:26:03.079 --> 00:26:06.920 structure itself, with its layered stages, might symbolically represent a 372 00:26:06.960 --> 00:26:10.160 cosmic mountain or bridge, with the number of levels possibly 373 00:26:10.200 --> 00:26:14.960 holding astrological meaning. Some zigarottes had seven levels, aligning with 374 00:26:15.079 --> 00:26:20.119 seven heavenly planets. Yure had three main levels, originally expanded 375 00:26:20.119 --> 00:26:24.400 to seven in Nabonitis's restoration, perhaps to align with that 376 00:26:24.480 --> 00:26:28.240 later cosmic scheme. The idea of reaching heaven via a 377 00:26:28.279 --> 00:26:31.480 tall structure finds resonance in the later Biblical story of 378 00:26:31.519 --> 00:26:34.359 the Tower of Babel. While the Tower of Babyl is 379 00:26:34.440 --> 00:26:38.680 usually associated with Babylon Ziggurat, some early interpreters saw any 380 00:26:38.759 --> 00:26:43.519 great zigarate as emblematic of that tale. The cigarette of Ure, 381 00:26:43.960 --> 00:26:47.880 being so imposing an ancient was sometimes linked to Babel 382 00:26:47.880 --> 00:26:51.599 by travelers, though there's no direct connection beyond the same 383 00:26:51.720 --> 00:26:54.960 type of building. What your ziguratte does emphasize is the 384 00:26:55.000 --> 00:26:58.960 Mesopotamian aspiration to connect with the divine vertically. They called 385 00:26:59.039 --> 00:27:05.319 zigurats her sacred mountain or Sikatu height pinnacle. Climbing the 386 00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:09.039 Zigarat stairway was likely a ritual enactment of ascending to 387 00:27:09.119 --> 00:27:12.720 the realm of the gods. Only the privileged priests and 388 00:27:12.799 --> 00:27:16.920 rulers could make that climb, effectively bringing prayers from the 389 00:27:16.920 --> 00:27:22.559 people below up to the gods dwelling above. Lendon Woolly's 390 00:27:22.599 --> 00:27:25.759 excavation in the nineteen twenties not only mapped the Zigurad, 391 00:27:26.039 --> 00:27:30.079 but also attempted a kind of restoration. The lowest level 392 00:27:30.079 --> 00:27:33.119 and staircase that visitors see today were actually rebuilt in 393 00:27:33.119 --> 00:27:38.880 the nineteen eighties under Saddam Hussein's patronage. Saddam, sinking to 394 00:27:39.000 --> 00:27:43.440 link himself to Iraq's ancient glory, ordered a partial reconstruction 395 00:27:43.599 --> 00:27:47.240 using modern bricks over the base. This is why today 396 00:27:47.240 --> 00:27:50.720 the Zigarad's first terrace looks relatively sharp edged and new, 397 00:27:51.319 --> 00:27:55.359 with described bricks stamped in Saddam's name, like ur Namu 398 00:27:55.400 --> 00:27:59.359 did in his time. The upper levels remain mostly ruined, 399 00:27:59.559 --> 00:28:03.759 leaving a flat top where once the temple stood. Willy 400 00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:08.240 had found that the original ziggurat had three tiers. Nabonitis's 401 00:28:08.279 --> 00:28:11.599