Male Narrator: Archaeologists have only recently begun to discover the tombs of prominent Moche women on the north coast of Peru. One of the most important of these women rulers is known as the Lady of Cao, whose burial site overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Many of the objects found with her—such as gilded clubs and spears—are usually associated with men, so initially archeologists believed they had found a man’s tomb.
[slow, somber percussion with water drip sound effect evoking period and mood]
This double-pronged, gilded copper headdress is embellished with an aggressive feline face on what may be an octopus. The imagery may refer to the Lady of Cao’s rank or role. Also in her tomb were 44 unique nose ornaments – an astounding number. The six you see here have symmetrical designs that feature animal pairs, including crayfish and crabs. With the ocean nearby, the marine imagery might have been a metaphor for abundance. Joanne Pillsbury:
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Joanne Pillsbury: The Moche were great observers in the natural world, so we see this wonderful, rich marine life depicted with great understanding of the behavior and the form of these animals, but also we see that they’re made of both gold and silver. The Moche were masters at joining these two materials, and they did so in a variety of ways.
Silver was very closely associated with women and with the moon. And gold was very closely associated with the sun and with men, and probably with the highest ranking social groups.
Male Narrator: The exact meaning of these designs is not known. Two nose ornaments were placed inside the Lady of Cao’s mouth, suggesting they held special significance after her death.
[slow, somber percussion with water drip sound effect evoking period and mood]
Joanne Pillsbury: According to some sources, the afterworld journey included
a journey through the ocean. So it’s possible that this marine imagery may be related to ideas about the afterlife.
[music ends]
