Walter Alva

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Walter Alva (born 28 June 1951, full name Walter Alva Alva) is a Peruvian archaeologist, specializing in the study and excavation of Moche culture. Alva is noted for two major finds, occurring in 1987 and 2007, respectively.Alva was born on 28 June 1951 in Contumazá Province, and worked in Lambayeque, Peru. In 1987, he was called by police to investigate a site at Sipán, where "huaqueros" (grave robbers) had stolen some artifacts from an archaeological site. Despite being ill with bronchitis he made the trip over. The robbers had discovered a crypt of a lord filled with jewels and gold, compelling Alva to investigate further. Alva did most of the excavating without waiting for a possible future date, as he knew robbers might come back and cause more damage. As a result, he started digging without any funding or the support of the area police, with matters made worse as the result of the primary robber being killed by police.