Lady Cao was not one of the many mummies discovered by archaeologists in different regions of the globe. The discovery of her bones rewrote ancient history and enhanced our knowledge of the Moche society.

From the first and ninth centuries, the Moche prospered and governed the northern coast of Peru before the Incas, while the Mayas flourished in Mexico and Central America. They conquered the desert with a sophisticated irrigation system, constructed adobe pyramids, and, like many other ancient civilizations, employed religion to unite society.

In 2006, investigators uncovered a female Moche mummy at the archeological site El Brujo in the La Libertad District of Peru, some 45 kilometers north of Trujillo. She gained the title of lady Cao. It was one of the most remarkable Moche-related archaeological discovery ever made.
The finding of her opulent tomb contradicted scholars’ preconceived views about the Moche, who were previously believed to be a warrior-dominated civilization.

Examining the ancient mummies indicated that Lady Cao was in her mid-twenties when she passed away in around 450 CE. Her death was most likely due to pregnancy or childbirth-related problems.
This royal tomb, the seventh found in the last quarter-century, is thought to have belonged to a Moche priestess who was interred 1,200 years ago. The abundance of objects and the sophistication of the burial indicate this woman’s power and influence in life. Thanks to Luis Castillo

Her burial site contained valuable artifacts and weapons. It soon obvious that Lady Cao was a woman of great importance. Lady Cao was buried with valuable metal items and wooden scepters wrapped in copper that symbolized the power she wielded when she was alive.

The Lady of Cao’s mummy, which was found at the archaeological site Huaca El Brujo, a grand pyramid of the ancient Moche pre-hispanic culture, is seen at the Ministry of Culture in Lima, Peru July 4, 2017.

GUADALUPE PARDO/REUTERS

She donned a gold diadem and a big V-shaped crown with a puma’s face in the middle, as well as a necklace with enormous beads displaying the same feline visage. She has various tattoos with significant meanings.
On her wrists and feet, researchers found tattoos of snakes and other animals. Additional tattoos on her body featured spiders, the tree of life, and star-like images, all of which were regarded holy and appeared on the friezes of the largest temples in the El Brujo archaeological complex.
Using sophisticated 3D technology, scientists later 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.

It was formerly assumed that the Moche were a civilization governed by male warriors, however this idea has been shown to be false.
The discovery of Lady Cao demonstrated that women enjoyed a prominent position in Moche society. The Moche civilisation had no written language, and the Lady Cao’s mute remains revealed the true nature of her society.

Sometimes a single discovery is sufficient to rewrite the history books.