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South America -
Peru
Sipan
Moche (Mochica)
Gold & Metals Exhibit |
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Lord Of Sipan
Moche Objects
Moche (Mochica) pre-columbian
gold objects from the Sipan site |
Lord of Sipan tomb |
Dress Gold That Was Buried with the Lord of Sipan |
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The news must have spread right
away. The death of the ruler must have been an event that mobilized all the
inhabitants within the Lordship. The priests must have rapidly begun the
preparations for the Royal burial. The funerary arrangements, the offerings
that had to be taken to the Gods, the sacrifice of the servants that had to
follow their Lord even to the afterlife… Standing before the huge mud
construction, and trapped in time, we try to imagine these circumstances
taking place right here more than 1700 years ago. A splendid yet sad funeral
cortege must have moved to the compass of clay trumpets simulating marine
shells. The Lord of Sipan had died and he is to be taken to his final
dwelling with great honors. Gold and silver ornaments, offerings to the
Gods, weaponry, and companions in death, will be buried with him. |
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The Tomb remained closed,
protected from time and looters for hundreds of years, until one day of
1987, when the bodily remains of the Lord saw the sunlight again. Walter
Alva, the Peruvian archaeologist in charge of the excavations, must have
felt his heart race when his sensibility as such began to feel the proximity
of the finding. Not to mention the moment he was face to face with the Lord
of Sipan. Although it is possible that emotion had not left him much time to
think, he knew the discovery was more than important. However, he could not
have imagined how much more. An intact Tomb of a Sovereign of ancient Peru,
a discovery that has been compared with that of the Tomb of Tutankhamen, in
Egypt.
The Tomb is close to the Town of
Sipan, 35 kilometres from Chiclayo, in the Archaeological Compound of Huaca
Rajada. The Archaeological Site has two truncated pyramids, buildings
wherein the Tomb of the Lord of Sipan, the Tomb of the Priest, and that of
the Old Lord of Sipan, were found together. |
Gold & Silver peanut bead necklace |
Anthropomorphic Moche Gold, copper, and
polished stone figure |
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The ancient ruler of the Valleys
of the North must have exercised his dominion in the year 250 D.C.
approximately, and his authority extended to the military, religious and
civil ambits. The builders of the Citadel of the Lord of Sipan were the
Mochicas, who established themselves in the Region of La Libertad, to later
extend towards the Valleys of Lambayeque, Chicama, Moche, Virú, Santa and
Nepeña, over an area of 6500 square kilometres. The series of promontories
housing vestiges of ancient constructions that can be seen nowadays
correspond to the work of this people. According to archaeologists, at a
certain time, the Compound hosted nearly 15 thousand inhabitants, including
professionals such as potters, goldsmiths, weavers and builders. |
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Gold Funerary Mask |
Feline gold mask |
Royal Sipan gold Head with turquoise eyes |
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The development and perfection
attained by this Culture amazes scientists. These people managed to build a
home in one of the most arid places of the planet, designing hydraulic
techniques that allowed them to transform the waters of the rivers flowing
down from the Andes into manageable canals, succeeding in doubling the
amount of farmable lands in use nowadays. Their advancement in the art of
metallurgy permitted them the creation of techniques for the intensive use
of copper, especially in the manufacturing of ornaments, weapons and tools,
achieving to gild it with a sophisticated technique which obtains the same
results than that of the electrolytic process, invented in Europe only in
the late 18th Century. Likewise, their realistic and expressive ceramics
have allowed scholars from all over the world to know more about this
Culture who accomplished a high level of technological development. |
Gold Sipan Ear piece |
Spider & web necklace bead |
Pieces remaining in the tomb |
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As masters of such advanced
stage of improvement, death did not mean the end for the Mochicas. People
continued living in another plane with their same obligations or privileges,
and that is why the rulers were buried with provisions and goods; and the
finding of this Tomb allows us to know more closely about these burial
rituals. His skeleton taught us that the Lord of Sipan died at an age of
about 40 years and, with the exception of an incipient arthritis, he was in
good health. His height was of 1.67 meters, which was considered to be tall
at that time, and his bodily structure shows little physical labor. |
Gold Sipan Ear pieces |
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Gold Sipan Ear pieces |
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Until before the discovery of
the Tomb of the Lord of Sipan, it was thought that the images of the Mochica
art were part of the mythology of this culture, existing in the minds of
their creators only. Therefore, verifying that many of the emblems,
ornaments and attires seen on the Moche iconography were actually used by a
real person, helped to dissipate many of the questions about these legendary
men of the Valley of Lambayeque, as well as the hierarchy and importance of
the Lord resting in that Tomb. |
Gold funeral pieces |
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Scepters |
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The wealthy treasure of Sipan is
conformed by pieces that dazzle us with their beauty. Dozens of objects made
of gold, silver, copper, turquoise, and lapis lazuli, Spondylus shells,
vessels of ceramic, ornaments and arms. Some of the most impressive pieces
are the necklaces with huge figures of peanuts made of gold and silver, and
the earrings with deities and figures made of turquoise. |
Gold discs (necklace) |
Gold feline Head Masks |
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Two hip protectors (one of gold
and the other of silver) were found over his chest as well, along with a
belt carrying several rattles, and a ceremonial scepter with a silver handle
and a truncated gold pyramid upside down in his right hand. A gold diadem
with a half moon shape measuring 62 centimeters wide and 42 centimeters
high, which has only be seen in the Moche iconography and was always related
to the highest rank of the ruling class, was found under his body. Likewise,
eleven pectorals displayed successively over the chest, the legs, and under
the bones, were unearthed, along with eye protectors, a nose protector, and
a chin support, besides a heavy circular ingot of pure gold. |
Feline Gold Sipan bead necklace |
Gold "Old One" Sipan necklace |
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Silver & Gold Sipan Octopus Pectoral
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The body was buried with the
head precisely orientated towards the South, in the middle of four
individuals, each oriented towards a cardinal point. Three women between the
ages of 18 and 21, and a dog, were buried very close to him. Besides, he was
accompanied by a priest and food that would nourish him on his way to the
hereafter. |
Gold Bells |
Gold flag or banner, possibly depicting the
Lord of Sipan himself
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Gold & Turquoise Ear pieces |
Silver, Gold, & Turquoise Ear pieces
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The coffin was made of cane wood
tied with vegetal fibers and copper braces. There were diverse layers of
fabric, mats and finely elaborated mantles on top the coffin, revealing the
complexity and elaboration of the funeral ceremony. Once the burial was well
disposed, seventeen beams of locust tree wood were arranged in order to
cover the entire tomb. The body of a guard was found over the beams. His
legs were amputated thus symbolizing the obligation of staying eternally on
his guarding post. |
Gold Rattle depicting
"Chalchalcha" (The Decapitator) the Supreme Moche God
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Gold backflap
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Gold Coccyx Protector |
Silver Coccyx Protector
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The Old Lord of Sipan, buried in
the first construction stage of the funerary platform, must have been the
most ancient ruler of the Valley. Several of the emblems of rank and
command, along with the ornaments and banners of his funerary arrangements,
resemble those of the Lord of Sipan, which reflect a similar hierarchy and
role in another time of the Mochicas' history. He could evidently have been
his predecessor some generations before. The arrangement of his burial site
with diverse religious figures is more complex and varied than that of the
first Lord discovered. It is probable that the Old Lord concentrated the
political and religious powers, which were later separated. His only
companions were a woman and a llama. The ornaments laid on his tomb also
refer to a triple authority (civil, religious and military), and to the
concepts of dualism symbolized by the use of gold and silver. |
Sipan gold ornate septum nose piece |
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Gold bead necklace |
Gold Figurine
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The Lord of Sipan came back home
with great honors after an extensive tour that took him around the world.
The most progressive museum in Peru was built in Lambayeque with the purpose
of housing all the treasures found, and to be the final dwelling of the
legendary Lord. The Royal Tombs (Tumbas Reales) Museum is a modern building
with the shape of a pyramid. The entrance is through a 70 meter long ramp,
thus simulating the ascension of the Moche people to a temple of veneration.
The reconstruction of the main tomb is located on the ground floor, where
the true skeleton rests. The ornaments in gold, silver and copper of the
Lord of Sipan are exhibited at the first floor. A town resembling the Moche
era has been built around the museum, recreating their techniques for the
elaboration of ceramics and textiles, which certainly will fulfill the
interest of any visitor. |
Lord Sipan Gold Headdress |
Sipan gold headdres |
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A visit to these warm valleys of
the North of Peru will surely achieve your approach to the history of one of
the most important sovereigns of this part of the country, and will make you
a witness of the marvellous cultural patrimony that the Lord of Sipan and
his civilization have left as a legacy for future generations.
Source: Enjoy Peru
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