Claire Dean
Claire Dean

Claire Dean

Travel in South America is a joy to behold. The rich variety of destinations, experiences, landscapes and geography fascinated me so much, that I chose to relocate here, over 20 years ago! The best thing I ever did! Allow me to share my knowledge and passion for Central and South America with you and help you plan your holiday of a lifetime!

Treasures of The Lord of Sipan

Treasures of The Lord of Sipan

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Written by:Claire Dean

Published: 2022-09-12

One of the most fascinating yet barely-known civilisations of ancient Peru is the Moche, who inhabited the northern coast of Peru between 100 and 700 AD and whose remnants can be visited on a tour from Chiclayo to Trujillo.  The Moche dominated northern Peru the first seven centuries of the so-called “common era.” Sican civilization rose after the end of the Moche/Mochica era and lasted until the conquest by Chimus. The Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipan (Royal Tombs Museum), opened in 2002 displays what was found in three royal tombs in Huaca Rajada. 

 

News of the Discovery of Sr de Sipan or the Huaca Rajada spread around the world very quickly. The undisturbed tomb was uncovered of a powerful Moche ruler, who had lived on Peru’s northern coast long before the emergence of the Incas in the Andes. The Huaca Rajada is a Moche pyramid, chosen to house the remains of this leader. The Lord of Sipan was adorned with remarkable jewelry crafted from gold, silver, turquoise, and Spondylus shell, and he was accompanied by women, children, warriors, and animals, who were all sacrificed so they could accompany him in the afterlife.  Learn more on your Chiclayo tours.

Huaca Rajada

 

Moche Civilization

These tombs from the Moche civilization, known for its ornamental pottery and fine metalwork, were the home to the impressive treasures excavated in the Huaca Rajada, a Moche adobe temple discovered in 1987.  The most extravagant funerary objects were found in the tomb, which is now filled with replicas placed exactly where the originals, which are currently on permanent display in the Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipán in Lambayeque.

 

At the Huaca Rajada, an exact replica of Sr de Sipan´s tomb can be seen, revealing the complex funerary rites employed by the Moche culture, and their belief in what they thought to be an afterlife. Never in history had the intact remains of such a high-ranking leader of an ancient Peruvian civilization been found. It is, to date, the only find made in this excellent condition.  Visit when you travel to Chiclayo.

Sr de Sipan

 

The archaeologist Walter Alva

The archaeologist Walter Alva and those working with him carefully excavated the crypt of a ruler dubbed the Lord of Sipan (El Senor de Sipan) in 1987. Found just 11 km north of Chiclayo in the town of Lambayeque, the Museo Nacional Tumbas Reales de Sipán is a true highlight along the Moche Route and a wonderful example of off-the-beaten-track travel in Peru. This site is the home to the impressive treasures excavated in the Huaca Rajada. This museum is even more impressive than those in Lima with its unique collection of Moche artifacts. The artifacts were uncovered in the tomb of El Señor de Sipán, a Moche leader who was buried with an extravagant collection of gold, including ornamental breastplates and a golden staff known as El Cetro Cuchillo. The museum also displays spectacular necklaces made from Spondylus shells– some of which weigh up to six kilos, which were excavated alongside this important ruler and have since been patiently restored by experts.

 

Ornaments, headdresses, effigies, and other statues made of gold and silver, copper, and semi-precious stones such as turquoise, lapiz lazuli, etc. Next to the burial chamber of the Lord of Sipán, a repository of ceramic offerings with remains of food, some copper ornaments, spondylus shells, and bones of sacrificed llamas were found. This arrangement suggests a ritual ceremony.  Visit on your Chiclayo tours in The North of Peru.

Moche Mask

 

The Moche Route

Our Moche Route tour from Chiclayo to Trujillo will also take you to other fascinating and important archaeological sites, such as “El Brujo”, which spanned across a number of different civilisations including the Moche. The site is home to the Huaca Cao Viejo and The Haca Cortada, other remnants of ancient Peruvian civilisations and thought to be one of the female Moche leaders of the time. The Señora de Cao Museum houses here mummified remains, along with the valuable artifacts that accompanied her.

 
 
Sr de Sipan is one of the main attractions of the Moche Route Peru Tour Peru, located in the Lambayeque Valley. It is popular for the valuable ítems found in the tombs that were discovered in the archaeological excavations. The Moche route runs from Chiclayo to Trujillo or vice versa taking in all the archaeological sites along the way.

El Brujo Archaeological Site

 
Take this impressive tour into the pre-Inca History of Peru along the Moche route enjoy the lesser-visited northern part of Peru. Book now!

 

Gold was important in the Moche Culture because it represented the sun God Inti. The Northern Moche are celebrated for their metalwork, especially the exquisite pieces found in the tombs of Sipán in the Lambayeque Valley. Working in gold and silver, Moche artists were adept at hammering, soldering, and setting gemstones, as well as developing a process to make a copper-gold alloy appear to be solid gold. Visit on your Peru vacation packages.

Golden Mask

 

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