Sidney D. Kirkpatrick > Quotes

“Metalworkers first dissolved gold in a solution of water and corrosive minerals, to which they added bicarbonate of soda. A clean copper object dipped into this solution served as both anode and cathode, much like a car battery. As the electric current was maintained in the bicarbonate bath and the solution gently boiled, a microscopically thin coating of gold formed on the surface of the object, giving it the appearance of pure gold. A permanent bond could later be obtained by placing the object in a kiln. Ironically, the great artistry and technological sophistication that produced Huaca Rajada's gilded treasures had vanished along with the Moche, only to have been rediscovered hundreds of years later by Alva and his men.”
― Sidney D. Kirkpatrick, Lords of Sipan, A True Story of Pre-Inca Tombs, Archaeology, and Crime