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Witness History: The discovery of the Lord of Sipan in Peru

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The discovery of the Lord of Sipan in Peru

29/02/2024 GMT

BBC World Service - Witness History, The discovery of the Lord of Sipan in Peru

In 1987, the looting of an ancient pyramid led to an extraordinary golden discovery

The looting of a Peruvian pyramid in 1987 led to an extraordinary discovery. It was the first and richest royal tomb found intact in South America.

In 1987, Peruvian archaeologist Walter Alva received a call from the police urging him to look at ancient artefacts confiscated from looters.

The seized objects were so precious that Walter decided to set up camp in Sipan, the site where they were found. There, he dug and researched what turned out to be the richest tomb found intact in the Americas: the resting place of an ancient ruler, the Lord of Sipan.

Walter tells Stefania Gozzer about the challenges and threats he and his team faced to preserve the grave.

The music from this programme was composed by Daniel Hernández Díaz and performed by Jarana & Son.

(Photo: Walter beside the discovery. Credit: Walter Alva)

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