One of the great treasures of pre-Columbian civilization in Colombia is in the Tierradentro National Archaeological Park. This archaeological reserve was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995 and is located in the Cauca Department, specifically in the municipalities of Belalcázar and Inzá.
The main remains are concentrated around the town of Saint Andrew of Pisimbala, an area with a complicated topology where mountains and natural caves abound. The park is considered as one of the seven wonders of Colombia.
Discovery of archaeological treasures
Although the Spanish already found objects and other vestiges of ancient civilizations in the Tierradentro region during the colonial period, the true discovery can be dated to 1936. It was then that the doctor Alfredo Navia, Governor of the Department of Cauca, commissioned the first serious scientific study of the area.
Georg burg He was the geologist who led the exploration of the outstanding sites of the Tierradentro region, thanks to the invaluable help of the peasants in the area. Thus, numerous objects, monuments and places were identified.
With thorough and methodical work, Burg toured the region's river courses, conducted excavations, blazed trails through the jungle, and built a detailed archaeological map of the region.
Based on Burg's work, different teams of archaeologists have continued to explore the area and identify numerous archaeological sites to this day.
Archaeological sites of Tierradentro
Along the road that connects the towns of San Andrés de Pisimbalá and Neiva are the accesses to the main archaeological sites of Tierradentro. Throughout the area we find underground tombs or hypogeaas well as stone statues.
The archaeological park is structured around five main areas:
- Avocado Height.
- High of San Andres.
- Hill of Segovia.
- Elf Height.
- The Board.
In addition to these places it is also worth visiting the two museums of Tierradentro: the archaeological and the ethnographic. Both are located in the town of San Andrés.
Hypogea
More than a population settlement, Tierradentro was a great necropolis which occupies an area of more than 2.000 square kilometers. The tombs are located in several places, the most representative being that of Segovia. These burial chambers excavated in the rock more than 3.000 years ago have reached us in perfect condition.
Hypogeums of the Tierradentro Archaeological Park
The hypogea bear witness to a civilization (which has been baptized as the "Tierradentro culture"), which considered death as one more stage of existence. Following the wall paintings and funeral trousseau found in them it is deduced that inside they took place religious ceremonies related to the transit to the afterlife.
Most of the tombs were looted many years before the arrival of the Europeans. The treasures that are preserved today in museums are only a small part of the original wealth of these places.
In Tierradentro there are exactly 162 hypogea registered, some of which reach considerable dimensions up to 12 meters wide.
Statues and archaeological pieces
The large ones also attract the attention of travelers. stone statues that were raised in the area, more than 500. Many of them were hidden in the bush and did not see the light again until the middle of the XNUMXth century.
Statues of the «warriors» of Tierradentro
These statues appear to represent warrior figures, although many of them are zoomorphic. They are carved with great detail and expressiveness. Some of them exceed seven meters in height. It is probable that their function was to act as "guardians" of the tombs.
Interestingly, John of Gertrude, the first Spaniard to discover these statues in 1757, described them as a "Authentic work of the Devil". Currently, the statues are anchored to prevent looting.
In addition to tombs and statues, this pre-Columbian civilization has left us numerous examples of its expertise in the art of goldsmithing. Museums display gold bracelets and masks that were supposedly used in their rituals. The most spectacular are on display in the magnificent Bogotá Gold Museum.
Visit the Tierradentro Park
Visit the Archaeological Park of Tierradentro
Until relatively recently it was practically impossible visit the Tierradentro Archaeological Park. There was significant guerrilla activity throughout this region (much of the area was controlled by the FARC).
Fortunately, this situation has changed and today Tierradentro receives visits from tourists and archeology students again. An essential visit in Colombia for any good lover of history.
Access to the park costs 35.000 Colombian pesos (about 8 euros). There are special prices for students, retirees and members of the indigenous peoples of the region. Children under 16 can enter for free. The price of the ticket for tourists and foreign citizens is 50.000 euros (about 11,5 euros).
I am a student of hospitality and tourism I want to know everything about the gastronomy of the land within
I am not very sure that the illustration (photo) in this article belongs to the Tierradentro culture, as I understand that the few vestiges of goldsmithing that have been found belonging to this ethnic group have been questioned and it is possible that they belong to other cultures that they later occupied the territory of the Tierradentro ...
Putting aside the concern (which I hope someone will answer and / or correct), don't you think that the photograph of this kind of shamanic "ax" has a Mickey Mouse design in the center? 😉
and the late Mr. Walt Disney and his company will not pay for the plagiarism of
the figure of the inland shaman now world famous and known as mickey mouse will have paid the rights I do not think.
yhht io lo