Understanding the symbologies in the jewels and weapons of the Lady of Cao: a look through the Cao Museum, the community of Magdalena de Cao and the North Coast of Peru

• Grant number: 19/24284-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: January 01, 2020
• End date: March 20, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Archeology - Prehistoric Archaeology
• Principal Investigator: Maria Cristina Nicolau Kormikiari
• Grantee: Nádia Carrasco Pagnossi
• Supervisor: Augusto Bazán Pérez
• Host Institution: Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia (MAE). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Fundación Wiese, Peru
• Associated to the scholarship: 19/02085-0 - The symbolism in jewerly and weapons of Lady of Cao, BP.DR

Abstract

This project is part of a doctoral research program and aims to justify the needs for in situ analysis (in the Cao Museum and in the El Brujo Archaeological Complex) of the jewels and weapons of the Lady of Cao, as well as the technical visits to other museums and archaeological complexes in the north coast of Peru. The main objective is to analyze the iconography of the jewels and weapons of the Moche/Mochica leader known as "Lady of Cao "(Huaca Cao Viejo-El Brujo Archaeological Complex, Peru) from a symbolic perspective with the intention to understanding her role and specificities as ruler, priestess and warrior. The study also aims to understand the dynamics and relationships of gender in the Moche society and in the current community of Madgalena del Cao, focusing on the theme of duality present in much of the iconography, art and worldview of Amerindian and Andean cultures. To carry out the research, the metal collections found in Cao Museum will be analyzed; as well as a etnoarchaeological work will be done with the community of Magdalena del Cao, observing the impacts of the discovery of the Lady of Cao and the operation of the museum in the local community, verifying the existence (or absence) of a possible female empowerment; as well as the consequences on the shamanic and touristic activities of the region. There will be collected comparative data in other institutions of the Peruvian north coast. The results will be part of the final writing of the doctoral thesis. (AU)