Peru’s Rare, Unlooted Royal Tomb

[ciriuslea]

The discovery is the first unlooted tomb of the ancient South American Wari civilization from 700 to 1,000 A.D.

Images of winged, supernatural beings adorn a pair of heavy gold-and-silver ear ornaments that a high-ranking Wari woman wore to her grave in the newly discovered mausoleum at El Castillo de Huarmey in Peru.

The Wari forged South America's earliest empire between 700 and 1000 A.D., and their Andean capital boasted a population greater than that of Paris at the time. Today, Peru's Minister of Culture will officially announce the discovery of the first unlooted Wari imperial tomb by a team of Polish and Peruvian researchers. In all, the archaeological team has found the remains of 63 individuals, including three Wari queens.

http://www.andina.co...eru-464089.aspx

Edited June 27, 2013 by ciriuslea

[SHaYap]

I just wonder sometimes just how much of the gold circulating in the world now were looted from these unlucky souls of those times ...

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[ciriuslea]

I just wonder sometimes just how much of the gold circulating in the world now were looted from these unlucky souls of those times ...

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I wonder how many untouched graves like this are left, it can't be too many

[SHaYap]

I wonder how many untouched graves like this are left, it can't be too many

Just this lot itself is a miracle ... if there was a time when men were absolutely blinded by gold ... and treasures ... it was those days when Cortés made his merry way across South America ... after that little Tutankhamen's little treasure trove was a let down ... so much more was expected from ancient Egypt by Howard and his merry band.

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[ciriuslea]

Just this lot itself is a miracle ... if there was a time when men were absolutely blinded by gold ... and treasures ... it was those days when Cortés made his merry way across South America ... after that little Tutankhamen's little treasure trove was a let down ... so much more was expected from ancient Egypt by Howard and his merry band.

`

I can't say I don't understand the lure, finding something centuries old 'Indiana Jones' style must be exhilarating, but I think Egypt has protected itself to some degree and any serious burials still unfound by not allowing anyone with a pick and shovel to just dig up the desert,

I would love to see what is in the Emperors mound in China and I would fully expect more to be found in South America, only because the rain forest covers most of it and who knows what's hiding within it.

[SHaYap]

I can't say I don't understand the lure, finding something centuries old 'Indiana Jones' style must be exhilarating, but I think Egypt has protected itself to some degree and any serious burials still unfound by not allowing anyone with a pick and shovel to just dig up the desert,

I would love to see what is in the Emperors mound in China and I would fully expect more to be found in South America, only because the rain forest covers most of it and who knows what's hiding within it.

I don't think the Chinese Imperial tombs will offer much in terms of riches and treasure as the common practice is to be buried with 'personal' possessions and items of need for the 'next' life. Some of it might be jewel adornments and precious metals but mostly it will be mundane utensils and tools. If anything it will be personal favorite things and little more. Anything related to the monetary wealth would have been passed down as inheritance. The form of jewelery is more of a artisan craftsmanship character. Just purely or significantly constructed of the precious metals is rare ... and regarded as unsophisticated. Even simple rings are more likely to be finely sculpted jade rather than metals. The craftsmanship is as important if not more .... hence maybe the reason why diamonds was never really highly regarded as is it is with jade or ivory.

I think the Asian perspective on 'treasure' is different ... China was the world economic center for a long time and riches to the Chinese character was the finer things in life. Not just gold as a metal ... they were already quite sophisticated but sadly misunderstood during their time. Many still thinks that the reason China did not 'conquer' the known world then was because of some fault in their political make up but in truth, there was no need and reason. In fact many who set eyes on China wanted what China had and what China wanted or needed was readily available from all four corners of the world by way of trade.

Just take the Opium war for instance ... practically every major Western Power was there making a nuisance of themselves.

The Shanghai foreign quarter was practically the United Nations of the Day .... sadly they had only greed on their minds.

~

[ciriuslea]

Its interesting how grave goods do give so much insight into the cultures of those buried, even the art found on mundane objects can be more valuable to archaeology than the richest items adorned with precious stones sometimes.

I would love to see into the mound not solely for the treasure, if any exists but if the terracotta warriors are anything to wet the appetite...the imagination could run wild with what else exists, but going back to this find....I think we all accept we saw gold and silver back then to some degree the same then as we do now, and if more is found just what it can tell us about the culture is important..I'm personally fascinated by what the objects say over what they are...and I guess that applies to lots of people.

[SHaYap]

Its interesting how grave goods do give so much insight into the cultures of those buried, even the art found on mundane objects can be more valuable to archaeology than the richest items adorned with precious stones sometimes.

I would love to see into the mound not solely for the treasure, if any exists but if the terracotta warriors are anything to wet the appetite...the imagination could run wild with what else exists, but going back to this find....I think we all accept we saw gold and silver back then to some degree the same then as we do now, and if more is found just what it can tell us about the culture is important..I'm personally fascinated by what the objects say over what they are...and I guess that applies to lots of people.

Well I would not take that silly first Emperor as a measuring stick ... at the end of his life he was crumbling under the massive pressure of his achievements.

He was also quite ill from the many 'well intended' experts of his day to grant him eternal life. It was just the consequences of too much too soon.

Till now I don't believe they'll be another one as he's unique in every way ... that is also partially the reason his tomb even though only suspected to be it, we're not entirely sure yet is still left untouched. Based on the records you just don't know where to start believing and where to comfortably dispel the rumors. He was quite capable of unbelievable things...

On top of that much of his era is well known ... for many of his famous contemporaries outlived him by many years.

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