Lady Cao was not just one of many mummies archaeologists have unearthed in various parts of the world. Discoveries of her remains rewrote ancient history and gave us a much better understanding of the Moche culture. The Moche flourished and ruled both the first and eighth centuries, between the valleys of Peru before the Incas, between the first and eighth centuries, at the same time the Mayas thrived in Mexico and Central America. They dominated through a complex irrigation system, built pyramids, and, like many ancient cultures, used religion to unify society.
In 2006, archaeologists discovered a female Moche mummy at the archaeological site Huaca El Brujo, located about 45 km north of Trujillo in the La Libertad Region of Peru. She became known as Lady Cao. It was one of the most significant archaeological discoveries relating to the Moche. The discovery of her splendid burial shattered scientists’ notions about the Moche, which until recently had been perceived as a society ruled by male warriors.
Examinations of the ancient mummy revealed Lady Cao was in her mid-twenties when she died about 450 CE. The cause of her death was most likely complications due to pregnancy or childbirth. This royal tomb, the eighth discovered in 25 years, is believed to have belonged to a Moche priestess buried 1,200 years ago. The great number of artifacts and the complexity of the burial ritual, including sophisticated 3D technology, scientists reconstructed her face and by doing so, she became more alive.
Today, most scientists think that Lady Cao could have been a priestess or even a Moche ruler who has governed in the Chicama Valley. Up until recently, it was believed that the Moche had been a society ruled by male warriors, but this assumption turned out to be completely wrong. The discovery of Lady Cao showed that women held a high rank in the Moche culture. The Moche civilization had no written language and the silent remains of Lady Cao spoke to us, revealing what her society really was like.
