THE PRE-COLUMBIAN CULTURES OF COLOMBIA - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2024

The pre-Columbian cultures of Colombia are those that inhabited the country's territory before the arrival of the Spanish to America in 1492. Archaeological findings show that a large number of aboriginal civilizations inhabited this area, some more advanced than others.

The oldest remains that have been found in Colombia are cave paintings located in Chiribiquete, which date back about 20,000 years old. In other areas of the country, remains of about 17,000 years old (in Cundinamarca) and 13,000 years old (in Tolima) have been found.

Map of cultures in Colombia in the Pre-Columbian Era

However, the first cultures did not develop until the 5th century BC. It was in this period that agriculture and livestock began to be practiced, which allowed the development of more organized societies.

Among these cultures, the Calimas, the Tayrona, the Muiscas, the Augustinians, the Tumaco, the Tierradentro and the Quimbaya stand out.

The main Colombian pre-Columbian cultures

-Culture calima

When speaking of the calima culture, it does not refer to a single society, but to a conglomerate of societies that developed successively.

In this sense, there is no uniform calima culture, but rather several cultures that receive the same name for having arisen in the same geographical space: the Cauca River Valley.

Location

The Calima culture developed in the western mountain range of the Andes of Colombia, specifically in the valley formed by the Calima River (located in what is now the department of Valle del Río de Cauca).

Periods

The history of the calimas can be divided into three periods, each of which corresponds to a different culture. These are the ilama, the yocoto and the sonso periods.

Ilama period

In the ilama period, the aborigines gave pottery a religious character. Thus, you can find pieces that represent mythical figures, gods, among others. The ceramic figures stand out for their regularity, symmetry and balance.

Yocoto period

The Yocoto period was distinguished by the work of goldsmithing, especially by the use of gold. They also highlighted pottery, since they knew various techniques that allowed them to make quality pieces in ceramic and clay. As in the ilama period, the pieces of the yocoto are characterized by their symmetry.

Sonso period

The sonso period breaks with the line of work of the two previous subcultures. For example, in ceramics pieces with irregular shapes are created. In addition, the use of gold in goldsmithing is abandoned.

-Tayrona culture

The Tayrona culture emerged in the 3rd century of the Christian Era and existed until the arrival of the Spanish in the 15th century. It was one of the most advanced pre-Columbian societies in Colombia, as they excelled in architecture, agriculture, engineering, and commerce.

Location

The Tayrona culture developed in northern Colombia, in the Sierra Nevada. This aboriginal group settled on the banks of the Bonda River and in the Palomino and Buritaca valleys (today Santa Marta).

Architecture

The Tayrona stood out for their constructions. The houses had a conical shape, and the materials used to make these buildings were bahareque, stone, wood, palm and straw.

On the other hand, they also carried out works for public enjoyment, such as squares and communal amphitheaters (capable of accommodating up to 300 people).

farming

Thanks to the variety of climates that the Sierra Nevada offered, the Tayrona were able to grow various products. In addition, the Tayrona developed a series of techniques that allowed them to improve soil conditions.

For example, they created an irrigation system that extracted water from rivers and carried it to cultivated areas.

Commerce

The Tayrones were merchants. This culture offered handicrafts (such as woven blankets, objects made of gold, necklaces with precious stones) and in return received fish and salts (products necessary to complete the diet of these aborigines).

-Muisca culture

The Muisca culture, also known as the fly culture, was a pre-Columbian society that reached such a level of development that it can be compared to the Aztecs of Mexico and the Incas of Peru. The social organization of the Muiscas was based on the Clan, which consisted of a group of people who were united by a blood bond.

Location

The Muiscas settled in the center of the territory of Colombia. Specifically, this society developed in the valleys of the Río Bogotá and Río Negro.

farming

The Muiscas were a society of farmers. Therefore, the greatest advances of this culture can be evidenced in this area. They knew the rain cycles and took advantage of this knowledge to determine the most propitious time for planting. In addition, they developed irrigation systems to transform less fertile soils into productive areas.

The main crop was corn, which was the center of the economy and food of this culture. They also grew tubers (such as cassava, sweet potatoes, and potatoes) and fruits (such as pineapple, avocado, and squash).

Architecture

In architecture, the Muiscas did not reach the level of development of the Incas or the Aztecs. This was due to the fact that they did not use stone as a construction material, but instead used cane and bahareque.

-Culture tierradentro

Like the Muiscas, the Tierradentro were a society of farmers. They stood out for their social and political organization, which was complex for the time.

Location

The Tierradentro culture developed in the valleys of the Central Cordillera of the Andes, in what is now the department of Valle de Cauca.

Economy

The economy of this town was based on agriculture, especially in the production of corn, beans and cotton (the latter was used in the textile industry). They also practiced hunting and fishing.

The products obtained from these three activities were not only used for internal consumption, but were also exchanged with other cultures. Thus, the tierradentro created a trading system.

Political and social organization

The tierradentro were organized into clans, which in turn were made up of families. The political and religious power of each clan fell on the priests, who were in charge of guiding their people.

References

1. Culture. Retrieved on December 30, 2017, from colombiaemb.org
2. History of Colombia. Retrieved on December 30, 2017, from off2colombia.com
3. Indigenous peoples in Colombia. Retrieved on December 30, 2017, from wikipedia.org
4. List of pre-Columbian cultures. Retrieved on December 30, 2017, from wikipedia.org
5. Pre-Columbian civilizations. Retrieved on December 30, 2017, from britannica.com
6. Pre-Columbian Colombia. Retrieved on December 30, 2017, from globalsecurity.org
7. Pre-Columbian era. Retrieved on December 30, 2017, from wikipedia.org