Container For Lime in the Shape of a Frog c. 100 - 500

This small container for lime in the shape of a frog was made by the Moche people of ancient Peru. We don't know the exact date it was made, but we believe it was sometime between 100 and 800 CE. Lime was an essential element in the ritual chewing of coca leaves in Moche society. This frog would have held the lime powder that activated the coca's stimulating effects. The Moche people, known for their elaborate pottery, often depicted animals in their art, reflecting their close relationship with the natural world. Frogs in particular were associated with water and fertility, vital resources in the arid coastal environment where the Moche lived. The existence of this container also points to a complex social hierarchy, where access to such stimulants may have been controlled. By studying artifacts like this, alongside archaeological records and ethnohistorical accounts, we gain insight into the daily life, beliefs, and social structures of a long-vanished civilization.