Sipan

Sipan (Sipan ruler)

Sipan or Sipan Ruler is the name by which the tomb of a 3rd-century dignitary of the Mochica culture, discovered in 1987 in Peru, is known in world archaeology. The discoverer of the tomb is Peruvian archaeologist Walter Alva Alva. The discovery of the tomb was an important event in American archaeology, as it was the first time that a monument of the Peruvian civilization that preceded the Incas was found intact and without signs of looting.

Video: Sipan

• Highlights
• Location
• Question of belonging
• Clothing
• Tomb
• Priest’s tomb
• Old Sipan ruler
• DNA analysis
• Museum
• How to get there

Highlights

The complex was designed for rituals and ceremonies of offering sacrifices to the gods, becoming the abode of the souls of the lord and eight others. Elements of the rich attire of the crown prince have been preserved: beautiful beads, breastplates, earrings in the ears and nose, headdresses, bracelets and wands. The burials of “Priest”, “Old Lord Sipan” were also found here.”

To learn in detail the life story of the lord and admire the artifacts found during excavations, you can go to Lambayeque, 15 km from Chiclayo, in the halls of the Museum of Treasures of the Tomb of Lord Sipán (Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipán). It is the most important museum in the Americas. The tour begins on the upper, third level, where a ramp leads to the entrance of the structure, which completely copies the structure of the ancient temples of the Mochica culture.

Местонахождение

The tomb of the Sipan lord is located in the Archaeological Complex of Huaca Rahada in northern coastal Peru, 35 km southeast of the city of Chiclayo. The burial site belongs to the archaeological Mochica culture, which revered Ayah-Paek as the main god, and also worshipped the sea and the moon.

Question of affiliation

Japanese archaeologist Izumi Shimada has questioned whether the burial belongs to the Mochika culture; in his opinion (which most archaeologists do not support), the burial belonged to the later Lambayeke culture. The Mochica and Lambayeke cultures differ in the execution of jewelry, as well as the veneration of different gods.

Clothing

The decoration of this warrior-ruler, about 1.67 m tall, who died about three months after the beginning of his reign, is distinguished by jewelry and ornaments peculiar to dignitaries – pectorals, necklaces, nose rings, ear rings, helmets, scepters, and bracelets. These items are made of gold, silver, gilded copper and semi-precious stones. In total, more than 400 jewels were found in the tomb.

The necklace of gold and silver is a symbol of the two main deities, the Sun and the Moon. On the right side of the chest, the necklace is made of gold and on the left side of the chest it is made of silver.

Tomb

Because of his high position and semi-divine power, the ruler was buried with eight men. These, as may be judged from their clothing and remains, were his wife, two other women – probably concubines, a warlord, a guard, a standard-bearer and a child. Among the animals found was a dog.

Priest’s tomb

Two other graves were found under the tomb of the Sipan ruler: the priest and (the lowest) the Old Ruler of Sipan.

In the grave of the priest, items were found that indicate that the priest held one of the highest places in the religious hierarchy of the Mochica civilization. This priest, according to DNA analysis, was a contemporary of the Sipan ruler. Among the items placed with him in the tomb are the following symbols of religious authority: a goblet and a large clay bowl for sacrifices, a metal crown decorated with the figure of an owl with spread wings, and other elements of the moon cult.

Old Sipan ruler

Genetic analysis has also shown that Old Sipan Ruler is a direct ancestor of the Sipan Ruler, 4 generations apart.