In
the fourth century AD, the Mochica buried one of their greatest
warlords. He was buried with his head towards the south, his nose and
ears were covered with gold and his feet were clothed in thin silver for
his voyage to the life after death. Nowadays, we call him The Lord of
Sipan.
Ancient Peru is known as the land of gold and mainly related with the
history of the Inca Empire. Not many people know that this remarkable
but short-lived empire, which flourished for a century before the
arrival of the Spaniards (sixteenth century), was preceded by a number
of superb and highly developed civilizations and cultures, to name a few
Nasca, Paracas and Wari. Another important pre-Inca civilization was the
Moche. Its origins date back to the first century BC to its fall in the eighth century AD.
When you travel to the Northern coast of Peru, take a break in your
journey at the Museum "Tumbas Reales de Sipan, located on the
outskirts of the city of Chiclayo in Lambayeque, it is a must for
Peruvians and visitors. The Museum is contextual and reunites the
talents of ancient and modern Peruvians, an achievement of joint
ventures throughout the centuries. The thoughtfully developed concept of
Celso Prado, the designer architect was inspired by the archaeology of
Mochica culture to create the spaces that enhance and protect the beauty
of unique gold pieces excavated by archaeologist Walter Alva and his
team in the late eighties. Most of all the remains and artifacts
belonged to The Lord of Sipan the only Mochica prehispanic high
authority known to this day; it is a revelation on the splendor of
Peruvian rulers some 1,700 years ago.
The Museum is on a 7-hectare plot. It resembles a truncated pyramid
composed of five prisms, which are laid slantwise. Protecting the
collection pieces from sunlight, its structure was specially designed to
initiate the visit from the access ramp to the apex on the third level
and down to the second and first level. This idea reproduces the
experience that the archaeologist had when in 1987 found the Moche
Warlord in the Pyramid of Huaca Rajada, and has been since called
"the Peruvian ambassador of prehispanic culture."
Along with hundreds of ceramic pieces and exquisite jewelry excavated
from local pyramids, the visitor will find a representation of the Lord
of Sipan in full gear and his court, including five mechanical manikins
representing different personages from Moche society (politicians,
warriors and religious authorities). The area around the museum also
offers an array of attractions including the archaeological site where
the Lord of Sipan was found.
The collection of pieces has been called "The Golden Wonder"
by Times magazine, and a while ago National Geographic published an
article named "Discovering the Richest Tomb in the New World".
It really is one of the most important archeological finding of recent
times, and before reaching its final destination, the collection has
traveled to cities in Europe, the USA and Japan.
There is a project to create a great cultural center with a library, a
small zoo and breeding place, in due course, a live museum with a Moche
Pyramid and a areas where artisans will show how to work their ancient
crafts using traditional technologies. Visitors will travel through time
and recognize the same people that live today in the same conventions.
In this manner, Dr. Walter Alva says that we will create a museum
planned for the next 100 years, a cultural monument the "Museum of
the XXI Century".
Visit Tumbas Reales de Sipan Museum web : http://sipan.perucultural.org.pe