Quimbaya artifacts

Quimbaya artifacts [1]

Background

The Quimbaya artifacts can be considered the most valuable and controversial pre-Colombian archaeological discovery. According to archaeologists, the artifacts measure about 2 to 5 inches tall and represent a variety of birds, insects, lizards, and other animals. The gold assemblage dates to around 1000 C.E. due to the emergence of gold work appearing in the Quimbaya civilization. The gold is seen as sacred metal work, and is believed to represent the passing onto the afterlife. The Quimbaya populations occupied parts of Colombia, specifically Eje Cafetero and Valle del Cauca, as early as 100BCE. The Quimbaya treasures are most commonly known due to their resemblance to aircrafts. Many theorize that their origin may be of extra-terrestrials. The assemblage is now on display at the Museo de América ([of the Americas]) in Madrid.

Discovery

The Quimbaya gold figurines were found in two tombs in Cauca river valley of Colombia. The area was looted for gold and other valuable resources in the 16th century, so many contextual artifacts that may have lied with the treasures may never be found. According to reports, there was supposedly 200 gold figurines found when the tombs were looted, but only 123 artifacts were accounted for when ownership was given to Carlos Holguín, President of the Republic, in 1891. Due to the looting of the tombs, the context behind the artifacts is very vague.

Context

The Quimbaya civilization was a culture in pre-Colombia during the 1st century BCE. The peak of their civilization occurred during the 4th and 7th centuries CE, this period is known as The Quimbaya Classic. The Quimbayans were great farmers that cultivated corn and avocados, as well as hunted and fished for food subsistence. The Quimbaya were known for hunting deer and rabbits, along with armadillos, foxes, and opossums. They were also notorious for mining, specifically gold, and developed incredible metal working techniques that gave their art pieces a fine and polished finish. They were often melting gold with copper to create art pieces that had beauty and durability. The civilization is also known to perform ritualistic cannibalism. Sometimes their victims were war enemies, whose heads ended up on sticks, other times it was for special events and rituals. The Quimbaya civilization took burial practices very seriously. They were known for extravagant burial tombs, in which they would leave loads of riches. This is where the Quimbaya artifacts can be found. The Quimbaya civilization has no modern tribes today, as the civilization seemed to diminish in the 10th century. Theories for the fall of the civilization revolve around a cultural development in which tribes were broken off and separated by trades.