MOCHE: A PERUVIAN COASTAL COMMUNITY— GILLIN 



23 



chifitiioyo are Mexican (Aztec) ; and palta is said 

 to be Ecuadorean (non-Quechuan) in origin. 



According to Valdizan and Maldonado"'' the fol- 

 lowing plants now growing in Moche are foreign 

 to Peru, but were introduced from other parts of 

 the Western Hemisphere : 



Capuli (Pnwiis captili), probably from Mexico; tliere is 



no Quechua or Aymara word for it. 

 Chirimoyo (Annoiia cherimola), probably iniiigeimiis to 



Central America. 



The same authors identifj" the following plants as 

 native to Peru : 

 Mani, peanuts (Arachis hypogaca), culti\ate(l prehistoricaIl\ 



in the warm parts of Peru. 

 Carrizo (Arundo donax), probably native to Peru. 

 Algarrobo (Prosopis liinensis ; P. julifiora) . 

 Molle {S chirms molle). 

 Mamey (Mainmea americana) . 

 Granadilla {Passiflora ligiilaris). 

 Tumbo (Passiflora quadrangutaris) . 

 Culantro {Coriandrum sativum). 

 Lucumo (Luciima oboiata). 



Aji (Ca/^sicutn animtim : C. jrutescens; C. piibesccns). 

 Caigua (Cyclanthera pedala var. edidis) . 

 Zapallo (Cucurbila maxima). 

 Poto, mate (Lageiiaria siceraria). 



They identify the following as having been intro- 

 duced from Europe by Spaniards or other Europeans : 



Garbanzo (Ciccr arietinum ) . 



Haba (Vicia faba). 



Alverja, arveja (Pisum sativum). 



Alfalfa (Medicago sativa). It is said that alfalfa seed was 



brought from Valencia at the beginning of the Conquest 



by a Portuguese, Cristobal Gazo, and was first sown in 



Lima. 

 Cana de azucar (Sacrharum officinaruin). Brought to 



America on the second voyage of Columbus. The first 



Peruvian plantings were made in 1570. 

 Ajo, garlic (.Allium sativum). 

 Cebolla, onion (Allium ccpa). 

 Rabano, radish (Raphanus sativus). 

 Melon (Ctirumis melo). 



The Museo Arqueologico "Rafael Larco Herrera" 

 in Chiclin has identified the following list of plants 

 now growing in Moche as having been known to 

 the Mochicas from the evidence of actual preserved 

 finds or their portrayal in sculptured or painted 

 vases. 



Maize (Zea mays). 



Chirimoyo (Aniwna cherimola). Both Herrera and Val- 

 dizan and Maldonado, cited above, regard this plant as of 

 Central American origin. If this view is true and also if 



^ 1922. vol. 2. passim. The lists herewith given are not exhaustive. 

 They contain only items' identified by the source under the common 

 names used in Moche. 



it can be sustained that the chirimoyo was known on the 

 Peruvian coast as early as Mochica times, we have an 

 interesting evidence of prehistoric contact between this 

 region and Central America. Zevallos Quiiiones (1944) 

 [xiints out many supposed parallels in place names between 

 the northern Peruvian coast and Central .\merica. The 

 legend of Naymlap, the allegedly Central .American pre- 

 historic conqueror of the Lambayeque region, is well 

 known. (See Calancha, 1638.) 



Guanabana {.Annoiia muricata) . 



Palta (Pcrsca americana) . 



Beans i Phaseolus -^nitgaris) . 



Pallares, lima bean (Phaseotus hmatus). 



Mani, peanut (Arachis hypogaea). 



Pacay, giiava (Inga fcuillei). 



Yuca, manioc (Manihot utilissima) . 



Algodon pardo (not specifically identified). 



Papaya ( Cari, a /'a/>ayc). ; 



Guayaba (Psidiuin guayava). 



Camote, >\veetpotato (Ipomocn batatas). 



Aji, pepper (Capsicum) . 



Tomate, small wild tomato (.Solanum lycopersiaiiii). 



Potato (.Solatium tuberosum). 



Caigua (Cyclanthera pedata). 



Pepino (Solarium viuricatuin) . 



Zapallo (Cucurbita ma.rima). 



-Several crops mentioned as formerly important 

 in Moche are no longer cultivated to my knowledge. 

 Stiglich says, "Since 1891 the prosperity of this val- 

 ley, where only coca and fruit were cultivated, has 

 begun . . . The coca is always carried to Trujillo 

 by arrieros . . ."-•' I have not obtained clear 

 evidence from informants that coca was ever culti- 

 vated on a large scale in the present District of 

 Moche, so am inclined to regard Stiglich's remarks 

 as referring to the upper Moche valley. However, 

 a number of informants claim that small-scale culti- 

 vation of coca plants in hucrtas for {personal use was 

 practiced until 30 to 40 years ago in the Moche com- 

 munity. At present, so far as I know, there is no 

 growing coca plant in the District. Coca is used 

 occasionally by Mocheros, mainly as a means of keep- 

 ing awake during sessions of all-night work on the 

 irrigation ditches or at certain ceremonies, but it is 

 obtained in dried form from the local tiendas. The 

 use of coca is not habitual among Mocheros at 

 present. 



Squier (1877) mentions tliat the nopal was for- 

 merly extensively cultivated in Moche, together with 

 cochineal bugs, but that this industry had largely 

 disappeared by the time of his visit in the 1870's. 

 One informant, an old man claiming to be 99 years 

 old. stated, without suggestion from me, that the 

 growing of cochineal was conmion in iiis youth. All 



^ Stiglich (1922, p. 



