During the 1960s farmers ploughing a field in the Piura Valley discovered the entrance shaft to a tomb deep in the earth. Within the sepulchre they found highly-crafted pottery along with beautiful gold and silver artefacts. The tomb proved to be part of a vast Moche cemetery which came to be known as The Black Mound, or Loma Negra.
The news of the discovery attracted an army of looters who quickly pillaged the tombs, uncovering a wealth of ornate ceramics and an array of gold, silver and copper jewellery, ornaments and small statuettes. Such plundering has destroyed a wealth of potential evidence on Moche burial practices and Moche culture in general.
