Walter Alva

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Walter Alva , also Walter Alva Alva , (born June 28, 1951 in Cajamarca , Peru ) is a Peruvian archaeologist who became world famous for the discovery of the "Lord of Sipán ". Worldwide he is regarded as a proven expert on the Moche culture , which he had studied in detail.

Live and act

The grave of the Lord of Sipán , one of Walter Alva's important finds

Walter Alva comes from the city of Cajamarca, which is the capital of the region of the same name, and received his degree in archeology .

In 1987 he made the discovery that made him world famous: He discovered the grave of the famous Prince of Sipán, now known as Señor de Sipán ( Lord of Sipán ), in Huaca Rajada . This discovery is one of the most significant archaeological finds of the 20th century and is often compared to Howard Carter's or Hiram Bingham's discoveries. Alva secured the found treasure at the risk of his life, as the find had also been discovered by grave robbers who wanted to dispute the find.

In 2007 he again discovered a grave in Sipán in another campaign, albeit of a socially not so high-ranking personality. This expedition was financed by Pedro Almodóvar's production company .

He is a corresponding member of the German Archaeological Institute and he is also an honorary doctor (Dr. hc) from six universities in Peru. In 1990 he was awarded the Orden del Sol del Perú .

From 1977 to 2002 he was director of the Museo Arqueológico Nacional Hans Heinrich Brüning (Archaeological Museum Brüning) in Lambayeque , which is one of the most important museums in Peru and Latin America. Since 2002 he has been director of the Museo de Tumbas Reales de Sipán in Lambayeque.

He is married to Susanna Meneses, and his son, the archaeologist Bruno Alva, is working with him on the recent excavations.

Fonts in German (selection)

  • Early pottery from the Jequetepeque Valley, northern Peru. (= Materials for general and comparative archeology. Volume 32). Beck, Munich 1986, ISBN 3-406-31562-3 .
  • Las Salinas de Chao. Early settlement in northern Peru. (= Materials for general and comparative archeology. Volume 34). Beck, Munich 1986, ISBN 3-406-31538-0 .
  • Contributor to: The princely tomb of Sipán. Discovery and restoration. Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, Mainz 1989, ISBN 3-88467-022-0 . Published on the occasion of the exhibition of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in the Goethe Institute in Lima (Peru), Roman-Germanic Central Museum a . a.
  • The Inca and other important cultures of the Andean region. 2000.
  • Collaboration with: Gold from ancient Peru. The royal tombs of Sipán. Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern-Ruit 2001, ISBN 3-7757-0959-2 . Exhibition Gold from Ancient Peru. The royal tombs of Sipán, from December 15, 2000 to April 29, 2001 in the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bonn.
  • Incas - the great people of the Andes. 2002.

Web links

Commons : Walter Alva Alva  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jorge Pereyra Terrones: 101 razones por las que estoy orgulloso de ser cajamarquino. 87 , Spanish, accessed May 5, 2013.
  2. ↑ Archaeologists find pre-Columbian tomb on Science on NBCNEWS.com July 7, 2008, accessed May 5, 2013.
personal data
SURNAME Alva, Walter
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Alva Alva, Walter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Peruvian archaeologist, discoverer of the princely tomb of Sipán
DATE OF BIRTH June 28, 1951
PLACE OF BIRTH Cajamarca , Peru