Abstract This paper discusses the timeline of Moche spouts based on categories proposed by Rafael Larco Hoyle in 1948. The paper first describes Larco's division of the Moche period into five phases and explains each phase. The paper then discusses those who disagree with the credibility of Larco Hoyle's methods for defining the periods of Moche culture. Lastly , the paper focuses on the development of irrigation agriculture on the north coast between 2000 and 1500 B.C.
From the Paper "This changed with the shift to irrigation in the Guaiiape phase, when aspiring leaders had better opportunities for the control and the accumulation of goods. Although the initial costs for building irrigation canals was higher than that of fishing and floodplain agriculture, once in production, irrigation systems dramatically increased yields. Therefore, with the organization and financing of irrigation construction systems, leaders perhaps could have extracted surpluses from canal users to fund additional political activity, such as monument construction, and to further enhance the socioeconomic status of their own households. Irrigation systems also provided more opportunities for leaders to control land and the flow of water. The political consequence was that in the Early Guaiiape phase political leaders not only could have controlled increased agricultural production, but also the distribution of land and water. With these newfound sources of economic power, they could finance the creation of centralized, hierarchical political organizations."
