The prehispanic Moche culture, which flourished on the North Coast of Peru in the first millennium AD, has been the focus of archaeological investigation for decades. However, questions still linger regarding the nature of Moche political structure and warfare. The current study seeks to add to the information researchers can turn to when theorizing about the Moche by providing a more thorough examination of the variation in and distribution of violent behavior, including armed combat and human sacrifice, as seen in the remains of the Moche people themselves. A study of fracture patterns was undertaken on five Moche skeletal samples, analyzing the frequency and location of fractures for insight into their causation. This pattern analysis has shed light on the level of both violent and accidental trauma occurring in different places and times and provides insight on differences in the ways in which violence manifested itself in the Moche world
