Dress Gold That Was Buried with the Lord of Sipan

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.

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.

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.

Gold Funerary Mask

Royal Sipan gold Head with turquoise eyes

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.

Spider & web necklace bead

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.

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.

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 feline Head Masks

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.

Gold "Old One" Sipan necklace

Silver & Gold Sipan Octopus Pectoral

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 flag or banner, possibly depicting the Lord of Sipan himself

Silver, Gold, & Turquoise Ear pieces

click photos to enlarge

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 backflap

Silver Coccyx Protector

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.

Gold Figurine

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.

Sipan gold headdres

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 Travel