Alana Cordy-Collins

Going Headless? Ancient Peruvian Trend Discovered

(Courtesy of USD Magazine)

Her work may seem macabre — digging up human remains for clues into an ancient lifestyle —- but anthropology Professor Alana Cordy-Collins' latest discovery seems downright eerie. It appears that the Moche civilization, which thrived along the Peruvian coast between 300 and 800 A.D., had a penchant for cutting off each other's heads. "We had seen evidence of decapitation in Moche art, and we had found severed heads," Cordy-Collins (left) says, "but never had we found forensic evidence that answered the 'who dunnit?' question.

"On a dig we found a decapitator — a member of the Moche from the third century A.D. who had in his hand a tumi, a crescent-bladed knife. We had never before excavated a tumi with a body before. The individual we found was an old man, arthritic with few remaining teeth, but in life he had no doubt been a fierce individual." Cordy-Collins says the finding helps shed new light on the civilization, noting that "identifying this ritual is an important step. To better understand the Moche, we need to better understand its function."