The Fly of the Soul: An Expository Essay on the Integration of Folklore with Mortuary Archaeoentomology in Relation to Moche Funerary Practices

Abstract

When researching cultural beliefs and practices surrounding death, it is integral that archaeological practices draw upon oral histories and folkloric accounts. While this is now a generally understood notion amongst anthropologists and archaeologists, there are still subfields that are lacking in terms of their inclusion of oral histories. This paper considers the bioarchaeological study of entomology in relation to mortuary practices, and underscores the importance of incorporating oral traditions and cultural narratives into archaeological research. Using the Moche site of Huaca de la Luna in modern day Peru, scientific study of insect puparia is united with living history to better understand the mortuary practices of this particular culture, such as delayed burials. The work at hand presents potential opportunities for future studies in archaeology, and advocates for a more interdisciplinary approach to funerary archaeoentomology.