Analysis of the famous Moche head “Cabeza de Mono Dorada”

Abstract On December 8, 2011, a famous Moche monkey head on gold was returned from USA to the government of Peru, because illegally exported many years before. Since 2012 the monkey head was kept at the Ministry of Culture, which is located in the same building as the National Museum in Lima, waiting for final destination. The small monkey head size is approximately 4.5 cm high and 7 cm diameter. It weighs 49 g. On February 2018 the artefact was non-destructively analyzed using a portable device for energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence. The analyses showed that the monkey head is homogeneous, with following mean composition: Au = (77.5 ±2)%, Ag= (19 ±1.5)%, Cu = (3.5 ±1)%. This composition is consistent with the hypothesis that the artefact is of Moche origin.