Despite more than 100 years of archaeological research on the North Coast of Peru, very little is known about the transition from the so-called Moche society into the Chimu empire.

This timeframe, CIRCA A.D. 850-1000/1050, is poorly understood not only in the North Coast of Peru, but more broadly all over the Central Andean Region. Current models explain this period of time as a moment of political, economic, and militaristic control of the Wari Society.

This southern highland group has expanded as a well-organized state-like formation. Indeed, some scholars suggest that it may be the first Andean empire, and current models also suggest alternative scenarios. The recent burial in Huanchaco provides insight into the behavior of lower elites following the collapse of the Moche society and its transition into the Chimu Empire, highlighting the persistence of religious and artistic traditions from earlier times, as well as the innovations introduced from the highlands to the coast.