Peru contains El Brujo, the archaeological site where the Lady of Cao was discovered.
The Lady of Cao was a richly buried Moche-era woman found at the El Brujo archaeological complex on Peru’s northern coast. Her tomb was excavated in 2006, and the discovery challenged older assumptions that political and ceremonial power in Moche society was exclusively male.
Her preserved body was covered with tattoos and accompanied by elaborate textiles, jewelry, weapons and ceremonial objects. The burial dates to around 450 CE. The tattoos include images associated with animals and supernatural symbolism, offering evidence about Moche art and identity.
El Brujo contains Huaca Cao Viejo and other monumental remains. The Lady of Cao is distinct from the Lord of Sipán, another famous Moche elite burial discovered at Huaca Rajada, also in Peru but at a different site.