Location: Colombia, region of Huila.
History: The people of
San Agustin inhabited the region of Huila from 1000 B.C. to the 15th century A.D. Most of the history of this civilization remains a mystery, but thanks to many of the objects found in recent years, experts have been able to come up with more information about them and have divided their long history into 3 periods. The first period, known as the formative period, begins from 1000 B.C. to 300 A.D. During the formative period small agricultural villages started to form. The second period, the classic regional period, extends from 300 A.D. to 800 A.D. There was a huge growth of the population during this time. This culture also began building statues and other funeral objects that are still recognized and appreciated today. The last period, or recent period, spans from 800 A.D. to the 1600s. In this period, the population continued to increase and they began harvesting new crops, such as peanuts. It is unknown to this day how this civilization came to an end, but it is believed that by the time Spanish colonialists entered the region, they had already disappeared.
Daily Life:The civilization of San Agustin, as well as many other civilizations located in the surrounding areas, was dedicated to cultivating their land. The basis of their economy was agriculture. They harvested a variety of crops that include corn, potato, peanuts, and fruits. Hunting and fishing complemented their economy as well. They were very good at working with metals and stone. Many artifacts with astonishing designs had been found in recent years in the region they inhabited. They had complex religious rituals, of which the funeral ritual was given the most attention. The religious leader was a shaman, who would wear a jaguar skin to represent his authority. The jaguar was generally worshipped and viewed as a symbol of power in the region.
Best known features:The San Agustin culture is best known for their complex funeral rituals, their amazing sculptures, and the popular oversized statues made of stone. These huge statues are characterized by their great design and dimensions, some measuring up to 5 meters. The statues were made with religious purposes on mind, and were placed mainly in cemeteries and other funeral places to accompany the dead body. Most of the statues share a mixture of man and animal features. Many share the look of a big body and a large face of a human with animal-like details, such as huge teeth and weird eyes and cheeks. Many of these pieces can be observed at the Archeological Park of San Agustin, Colombia, where many of these statues remain in the same place to this day.
Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not claim expertise on the San Agustin.
Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the URL.
Cultura San Agustin. Electronic document,
http://www.galeon.com/culturasamerica/SanAgustin.htm, accessed June 17, 2009.
San Agustin. Electronic document,
http://www.udistrital.edu.co/colombia/culturas/sanagustin/index.php , accessed June 17, 2009.
Muiscas, la Gente y el Oro en el alto Magdalena. Electronic document,
http://www.banrep.gov.co/museo/esp/s_agustin.htm, accessed June 18, 2009.
Images are courtesy of Banco de la Republica, museo del oro – Bogota D.C.
Link: http://www.banrep.gov.co/museo/eng/o_zenu_O3045601.htm
By Julian Bernal