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Lords Of Sipan
Stopping the looting of the lost pyramids of the Lords of Sipan in Peru
If you like adventures that combine a bit of "Indiana Jones" with a real quest for archaeological discovery, the book Lords of Sipan, by Sidney D. Kirkpatrick, is for you. The story begins in February 1987 when an unemployed truck driver Ernil Bernal and a team of ten grave robbers dug their way into ancient pyramid complex. Over the next decade, the complex produced the richest collection of pre-Columbian antiquities to be unearthed in Peru both in monetary and archeological value.
Located in Huaca Rajada, on the coastal plains of Lambayeque along the Northern Coast of Peru, the pyramid complex was erected around 290 AD by a pre-Columbian civilization known as the Moche. Once opened the tomb became a lush treasure trove that invited every antiquities dealer throughout the world to bid on its contents. And it became the target of every scheming treasure seeker to plunder to feed this newly created market.
Kirkpatrick’s book is the tale of a dedicated archeologist and his team of underpaid workers and volunteers as they race to preserve and study as much of the find before treasure seekers loot and scatter the precious artifacts to far flung art collectors the world over. Leading the good guys in this tale is Dr. Walter Alva, inspector general of archaeology in Lambayeque for Peru’s National Institute of Culture.
The author’s tale of the archeological dig is made even more compelling by the continuous threat of thieves descending on the encampment and making off with precious treasure. Looking over the shoulders of the diggers, however, the reader is treated to a first-hand description of the unearthing of a major archeological find. In the process, the reader learns first hand of the life on this pre-Columbia civilization, both incredible brutal and mystifying.
In many ways, the story only whets the reader’s appetite for more information on this mysterious people, who had developed aqueducts to irrigate farmlands and built the Peruvian pyramids. Even more puzzling is the history of the Lord buried at Huaca Rajada. How did he amass the power to command such an incredible collection of wealth and so elaborate a funeral crypt.
The true crime story is interesting in its own right as it sheds light on the world of art dealers and traffickers. Enrico Poli, for example, is a Peruvian art collector, who is greedily building his own impressive collection of unearth pre-Columbian art. He threatens the good Dr. Alva with assassination if he continues to excavate the pyramid site after the initial discovery.
But, Poli is only one villain in the story. Others include a shady character name Pereda, a retired policeman that passes along stolen artifacts from grave robbers, such as Ernil Bernal, to the mainstream antiquities channel. The man who moves the goods from Pereda is Fred Drew, a retired diplomat. His transport agent is Miguel de Osma Berckemeyer, who ensures the stolen property gets by Peruvian custom officials for a percentage of the shipment’s value.
Once out of Peru, David Rand Swetman, Drew’s partner, U.S.-based art dealer who finds the buyers for the collection enters the tale. Then 30 years old, he and his wife Jacquelyn Sawyer, deal in antiquities from a the borrowed Montecito, California home of Irving Azoff, the unsuspecting Hollywood executive.
These characters along with U.S. Customs Agents and political figures in the U.S. and Peru are all entwined in this tale. The story reads like a good true crime tale complete with stakeouts, double crosses, and innocent victims being caught up in the elaborate trade in stolen artifacts.
Kirkpatrick’s book is a real treat both for the students of ancient history as well as those just wanting a good read.
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