Research in Action: Public - University of Calgary

A revealing collaboration
between the U of C and Peru —
exhibits, educates + sustains.
With The Nickle Arts Museum’s opening of Ancient Peru Unearthed: Golden Treasures of a Lost Civilization,
Canadians experienced a dramatic exhibition showcasing 1,000-year-old artifacts and treasures gathered as
part of a unique 30-year scientific excavation of Sicán in Peru’s northern La Leche river valley.
The historic exhibition marks a decade of negotiations between Peruvian and Canadian governments, driven
in part by Dr. Scott Raymond of the University of Calgary’s Department of Archaeology. The opening also marked
a significant milestone in the development of a thriving relationship between Peruvian archaeologists and
the U of C, which is contributing to the development of a strong and scholarly environment for archaeological
research in Peru.
“It’s significant that these artifacts were not gathered through looting,” says Raymond. “The exhibit provides
a rare experience for Canadians, highlighting the social, cultural, political and technological intricacies of the
Sicán society that flourished more than 1,000 years ago.”
Unearthed with precision and insight
The exhibition showcases the contents from two archaeologically excavated tombs. The Sicán was a sophisticated
civilization that predated the better-known Inca by almost four centuries. They produced high-quality glossy
blackware ceramics. The intricacy of their work with gold and silver suggests a skill level unprecedented in
Andean history. Raymond and colleagues have been negotiating to bring the exhibition to Canada since the late
1990s. Raymond has been associated with the project as part of his extensive work throughout Ecuador,
Colombia and Peru. He has helped bring South American archaeology students to study in Canada and students
from the U of C have visited the Sicán Archaeological Project and its partner the National Sicán Museum. Several
will return to participate as part of their doctoral or master’s thesis work.
The exhibition will tour Canada into 2008, following the five-month sojourn at The Nickle, which began in
September, 2006. The exhibition’s lead sponsors — Willow Park Wines and Spirits’ The Vintage Fund, together
with the Government of Alberta through the Alberta Lottery Fund, and AMJ Campbell Van Lines — have
pledged more than $500,000.
“Thanks to the commitment and involvement of the U of C in our research in
Peru, and in establishing the exhibition’s visit — Canadians will experience the
uniqueness, sophistication and beauty of handicrafts produced by this fascinating,
relatively obscure 1,000-year-old culture. The most significant aspect of the
exhibition is that it really tells us an in-depth story ‘behind the gold mask.’ Some
people may have seen previously a striking image of the Sicán gold mask with
‘winged eyes’ that had been illicitly looted from a tomb on the north coast
of Peru. But, this exhibit shows how long-term, multidisciplinary research can
put the mask in its proper context and allow it to speak about the culture that
produced it and the individual who was privileged to wear it.”
University of Calgary Research in Action 6
Izumi Shimada — professor of anthropology,
The Sicán Archeological Project, Peru.