Peru treasure: Ceremonial knife found

Peruvian ceremonial knife found

Martin Mejia, Associated Press in Ferrenafe
Thursday November 23, 2006
The Guardian

Archaeologists investigating ancient graves in northern Peru have come across the first tumi ceremonial knife found by researchers, rather than looted by thieves. It means that scientists can study the tumi - Peru's national symbol - in a natural setting to learn the context in which it was used.

"This discovery comes as an important contribution to know the burial rites of the elite of this culture," said a prominent archaeologist, Walter Alva, who was not involved in the dig.

The 22 tombs, more than 900 years old, were found next to a pyramid in the Pomac Forest Historical Sanctuary, 420 miles north-west of the capital, Lima. They are from the Sican culture, which flourished on Peru's northern desert coast from 750 to 1375.

The occupants "are clearly from the social elite and therefore some of them have gold objects, some of them have copper-gilded objects, but they are quite complex, well-endowed tombs," said Izumi Shimada, an anthropology professor at Southern Illinois University. Prof Shimada began excavations at the site in July with Carlos Elera Arevalo, the director of Peru's Sican National Museum. He said 10 tumi knives were found, including a 34cm (13ins) copper alloy tumi bearing the image of the Sican deity.

All known tumi knives were looted by grave robbers, Prof Shimada said. Sican artifacts were often misidentified as coming from the later Inca empire because they were always seen out of context. "Finally, archaeologists have the opportunity to show a scientifically excavated tomb where the context can be known for these objects," he said. "Therefore we will be able to speak a lot about the cultural significance of this object."