LORD OF SIPAN:
In 1988 Dr. Alva and his archaeological team uncovered the tomb of the Lord of Sipan, the "King Tutankamon of the Americas", the most spectacular tomb discovered in the western hemisphere. Four tombs have been found in Sipan's Huaca Rajada, near the coastal city of Chiclayo. The huaca is a mausoleum built by the Moche culture that ruled the northern coast of Peru from the time of Christ to 700 AD, centuries prior to the Incas. Sipan's treasures show us the Moche culture's ability with several metals: gold, silver, copper and precious stones in fine quality and a mastery in metalluurgy unrivaled in the Americas: masks, necklaces, earrings and other elaborate jewelry.

The discovery of the Lord of Sipan, which was featured in several National Geographic articles and in other magazines, has raised high hopes and great interest world-wide in future findings.

North of Chiclayo are other monuments of the Moche culture: 26 colossal pyramids in the Valley of the PYRAMIDS, also excavated in recent years. The largest complex is El Tucume, where legendary explorer Thor Heyerdahl (Captain of the Kontiki) is directing the excavation project.

The Moche treasures are exhibited in the Bruning Museum in the city of Lambayeque, only a few kilometers from Chiclayo. The city also has a fascinating herb market, with all the natural remedies used by the region's traditional healers. Sipan and Tucume both have site museums.