Final answer:
The bas-relief carvings from Cerro Sechín reveal aspects of ancient ceremonial activities, social hierarchy, military practices, and daily life, as well as insights into religious beliefs and agricultural practices linked to water in the region.
Step-by-step explanation:
The bas-relief carvings from Cerro Sechín provide insights into the ancient practices and societal structure of the time. They depict a variety of scenes that include stories about nobility, military conquests, and the everyday lives of people, such as market scenes or fishing. The carvings show cups, strainers, and armor indicating preparations for a banquet or drinking party, suggesting social and ceremonial activities. Additionally, the decoration alludes to household settings of the aristocracy with tools and a small carnivore, perhaps a weasel, hinting at domestic life. Other carvings in the region, like those at Huaca de la Luna, show evidence of sacrifices that are depicted in the art and have been corroborated with archaeological findings of sacrificed prisoners, affirming the violent rituals depicted. Furthermore, geoglyphs associated with the Nasca people imply a strong connection with agriculture and water, with some lines directed towards mountains, thought to be significant to the gods and as a source of freshwater. These and other archaeological findings help construct a picture of the religious beliefs, agricultural practices, and social structures of ancient civilizations in the Americas.