Wonder Woman of the Week: The Lady of Cao

Nobody should be surprised that powerful women in ancient history often go unremembered, especially when their gender made them a unique member of the ruling class. One mysterious ruler of Ancient Peru could have been Princess Ukok of Asia’s twin and no doubt inspired her own Amazon mythology. The Wonder Woman of the Week is the Lady of Cao.

The Lady of Cao- whose name has been lost to history due to both a lack in written records among the Ancient Peruvians and the fact that 19th Century European archaeologists cared little for powerful women. The Lady of Cao holds the distinction of being the first woman found by archaeologists to have been a ruler of Ancient Peru. She would have governed the Chicama Valley somewhere around 1700 Years Ago and was a key figure in the history of the Moche People. [1]

Archaeologists were able to locate the remains of the ancient ruler in large part to the geographic conditions of the site. The Lady of Cao was discovered in a mud-brick pyramid in northern Peru where arid winds help preserve mummified corpses that died thousands of years ago. The mummy shed light on Moche culture predominantly for tattoos found on the body along with funeral objects including gold sewing needles, weaving tools, and metal jewelry. The find was a first of its kind for Moche burials meaning the Lady of Cao was unique for her time. Even more interestingly, weapons were discovered in the tomb including war clubs and spear throwers. The mix of ornamental and military remains suggest the Lady of Cao had a dual role of both combat and power. [2]

Evidence from the remains suggest the Lady of Cao died during pregnancy from a condition called eclampsia. Eclampsia is a condition that causes seizures during pregnancy. Forensic Doctor Jordi Esteban Farre analyzed tissue remains fro the mummy’s arms to discover the Lady of Cao had suffered from intense seizures and found evidence based on the positioning of the arms and wrists that showed the woman had died during a convulsion. Archaeologists pieced together the woman’s life before her death. The twenty-something year-old woman had been a warlord of the Moche People who lived in Ancient Peru. Her tattoos of spiders and snakes symbolized fertility and prophetic powers. [3]

There is not a lot of information about the life of the Lady of Cao, in fact one of the biggest gaps of information is her name. The hard evidence shows the woman died during childbirth during her twenties, held some type of power that included military aspects, suffered from seizures during pregnancy, and had some incredible tattoos. The larger image of the life of the Lady of Cao paints a picture of a warlord and mother who was seen as a prophet of her people and someone held to high regard. The very imagery of the Lady of Cao’s life could easily be mistaken as the inspiration for Wonder Woman herself and she was no doubt a superhero to her people.

“The Lady of Cao: The Mystery of the Tattooed Mummy.” 2016. The Archaeology Channel. Accessed 20 January 2016. https://www.archaeologychannel.org/events-guide/international-film-and-video-festival/171-archived-festival-pages/tac-fest-2013/1044-the-lady-of-cao-the-mystery-of-the-tattooed-mummy

Norris, Scott. “Mummy of Tattooed Woman Discovered in Peru Pyramid.” 16 May 2006. National Geographic. Accessed 20 January 2016. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/05/mummy-peru.html

Finn, Emily. “Peru’s Lady of Cao mummy died during childbirth.” 15 February 2011. Living in Peru. 20 January 2016. http://archive.peruthisweek.com/news-14120-peru-s-lady-of-cao-mummy-died-during-childbirth/