Sipan, Bruning

Todays notes will be a blending of part of yesterday and today.  Yesterday we went to the “Royal Tombs of Sipan” Museum, located in Lambeyeque about an hour from the actual ruins and which contained relics from the site.  Today we visited the actual archeological excavation at Sipan and the site museum located there. 

In early 1987, looters digging at Huaca Rajada (also known as Sipan) found several objects made of gold. A disagreement among the looters caused the find to be reported to the local police. The police raided the site, recovering a number of items, and alerted a local archaeologist, Dr. Alva.  After reviewing the items recovered, Dr. Alva – a known expert in Moche culture (and then Director of the Bruning Museum), agreed to find a way to protect and excavate the site.  His work resulted in the most significant archeological finding in South America at that time.  The findings were later described by the National Geographic Society as the richest intact pre-Columbian tomb in the Western Hemisphere.  It is detailed in his book, “The Lord of Sipan”.  I intend to re-read it when I get home.  Due to infrastructure issues where the tomb was located, it was decided to erect a museum to show these treasures in Lambeyeque as the village of Sipan had no electricity or running water at the time.

The ‘Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum’ contains artifacts that could rival the findings of Tutankhamen.  It is truly stunning the restoration of the artifacts and the sophistication of the ceramics, gold work, silver, etc. that was made during this period from 50 – 700 AD.  To date there have been 16 tombs excavated.  Unfortunately, we are unable to take cameras or phones into the museum for security purposes.

Today, we meet with our new guide Julio and head out to explore the actual archeological site.  Julio is an interesting person.  He is Peruvian by birth and place but speaks the kings English with a perfect British accent.  Apparently, his father worked with an Englishman for many years when Julio was a child and he learned to speak English from this person.

As we had both read Dr. Alva’s book and had seen the artifacts yesterday, we were really excited to be able to see the actual excavations and walk the grounds.  Several years ago, they erected a small museum on the site for interpretive purposes (they did eventually get electric and water).  We learned that tomb #16 (the most recently discovered), was actually discovered and excavated by our previous guide (Rocio)’s husband!  She never said a word – only that her husband had worked with Dr. Alva.

After touring Sipan we headed to Lambeyeque to lunch at a local Peruvian restaurant that our guide frequents with his family.  Dick had a local specialty, Cabrita (goat).

After lunch we visited the Bruning Museum in the center of town.  Bruning was a German mechanical engineer that emigrated to Peru in 1875 and gained an interest in the local people and cultures.  In the late 1800’s he started recording various aspects of the Moche culture and collecting (mainly looted) artifacts.  He decided to return to Germany in 1916 and sold his collection to the Peruvian government.  They opened a museum and convinced him to run it for about 4 years before he permanently returned to Germany.  This was the first archeological museum in Peru (and was where Dr. Alva was director in the 1980’s.) 

The museum has several great exhibits, much being ceramics from the Moche culture, as well as many gold artifacts. Unfortunately, as most of these were looted there is no context for where they were found.  Another major exhibit contains artifacts from the excavation of a woman high priestess, buried with the ceremonial items reserved for other elite persons of the area.  A great day.

M.

At breakfast this morning we ran into a large group of German tourists who must be following us as we have seen them at each of the hotels and archaeological sites we’ve visited.  They are heading south this morning on a different route so that’s the end of practicing my schoolyard Deutsch.  Auf Wiedersehen Mitreisende!  

We haven’t seen any news for a while so I kept my eye on the local station while eating.  A story (in Spanish related by very excited broadcasters) brought up a video of a building’s Halloween decorations right down the road from us in Monongahela PA!  Amazing and a pretty cool decoration! 

The Sipan excavations are a little over an hour from Chiclayo in the small village of Sipan.   It’s a great ride through the countryside – cane plantations, small villages, and tuk-tuks with the best road conditions (although narrow) we’ve experienced.  At one point, we passed a farmer herding cattle and goats down the middle of the road.  Sadly, no pics.

Mary has done a great job describing the excavation of ‘Huaca Rajada’ and local museum at Sipan.   The museum is incredibly well done.  We had done significant research on the history of the excavations and devoured Dr. Alva’s book “The Lord of Sipan” but I’m not sure we were prepared for the quality of the restoration and the insights shared by our guide, Julio.  When written, the diggings were in the early stages.   Since, a ‘Senior Lord’ has been discovered dated at some 300 years prior to the Lord along with 14 other tombs. 

On the grounds were a number of nesting ‘burrowing owls’.  These owls appear prominently in Moche iconography and it was quite a treat to see them.   

We had not expected to visit the ‘Bruning Museum’ in Lambayeque.   Julio (like our previous guide, Rocio) knows everyone at the museums and sites and provided great background on the large collection.  

Tomorrow we’re off to the cloud forest and Cocachimba.   

D.

• Archaeology