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Gold treasures from ancient Peru The Royal Tombs of Sipán 15. December 2000 - 29 April 2001 in Bonn
Ancient Peru, the land of gold, is primarily associated with the history of the Inca. Few people know that this impressive but short-lived empire (1467-1532) was preceded by a number of magnificent and highly developed civilizations and cultures. One of those was the Moche civilization on the coast of northern Peru. Its origins date back to the first century BC; its decline and fall came in the eighth century AD. Less than twenty years ago, a spectacular discovery was made by chance in Sipán, some 800 km north of Lima: the intact and undisturbed tomb of a Moche ruler. Many archaeologists compare it to the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter in Egypt. The abundance of exquisite treasure buried with the ruler known as the Lord of Sipán served to provide the first extensive knowledge ever gained of the Mochica culture and society, as well as putting the available information into clearer perspective. Besides the magnificent tomb of the Lord of Sipán, discovered under a much-weathered pyramid platform of adobe (dried clay bricks), eight more burial chambers were excavated, including that of the Old Lord, the Priest, and a military commander. Present-day knowledge of Moche organizational structures - political, social and economic - religion, and art classifies the Moche beeing one of the great cultures of the Americas. The exhibition centres on the fabulous golden treasures of the rulers of Sipán. The 200 most beautiful and important finds are displayed: insignia of power such as standards made of gold-plated copper, regalia such as sceptres and decorative head-dresses, masks, pectorals, bells and jewellery, much of it made of pure and frequently stone-studded gold. Grouped around this dazzling array of gold and the faithful reconstruction of the burial chamber of the Lord and the eight persons accompanying him into the next world, are 50 pieces of Moche pottery from major collections in German museums. This art, consisting of sculptured and painted clay-vessels, offers not only a view of flora and fauna, of courtly and common everyday life, but also insights into the mythology of the Mochica. It enables us to visualize, for example, how fishermen braved the Pacific in small caballitos del mar - canoe-like boats made of bundles of reeds. It tells of noblemen using nets and beaters to hunt deer, and of the main sacrificial ceremony beginning with a ritual combat between warriors. It shows the clothes worn by the individuals in this hierarchically structured society; for the advanced Moche culture is in fact one of the few major cultures in which poverty did not remain anonymous. Even erotic scenes are not omitted from the "earthen library" of this society which never developed a writing system. Another especially impressive aspect is the ceramic "portrait art" with its individualistic and naturalistic representation. The greatest part of the gold of Sipán - some of which was restored in the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum in Mainz - has never been on display before. Therefore the exhibition in Bonn is not only the first of such comprehensive and magnificent scope - as finds uncovered during the more recent excavations are on display for the very first time in Europe - it is also the last such exhibition outside Peru. Afterwards, the fragile treasures will be permanently housed in a new museum, Tumbas Reales de Sipán, in the immediate vicinity of the original tombs, and will by Government Order never leave Peru again. The catalogue to be published alongside the exhibition with approximately 275 pages including 450 colour illustrations will include articles by internationally renowned scholars on cultural developments in the pre-Columbian civilizations of Peru, and on the excavations and restoration work. It will also contain a chronological table, maps and an extensive bibliography. Price: DM 49.
Head of excavation: Walter Alva  
(German only)Exhibition Curator Ferdinand Anton
(German only)Project Manager  : Dr.
Angelica Francke
(German only)Exhibition Architect Michael Haacke (German
only) : Maja
Majer-Wallat
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