National Archeological Park of Tierradentro

Brief Description

Several monumental statues of human figures can be seen in the park, which also contains many hypogea dating from the 6th to the 10th century. These huge underground tombs (some burial chambers are up to 12 m wide) are decorated with motifs that reproduce the internal decor of homes of the period. They reveal the social complexity and cultural wealth of a pre-Hispanic society in the northern Andes.

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National Archeological Park of Tierradentro © Nick Leonard 

Long Description

The hypogea of the Tierradentro complex are unique testimony to the everyday life, ritual and burial customs of a developed and stable pre-Hispanic society in the northern Andean region of South America.
The present state of archaeological and anthropological knowledge suggests that the builders of the hypogea (underground tombs) in the period AD 500-900 lived in the mountain slopes and valleys in the area. In the valleys they established small settlements whereas on the hillsides settlement was dispersed, close to the fields. The oval-plan buildings were built on artificial terraces, with rammed earth floors. The wooden frames were filled with wattle-and-daub and the roofs were thatched. There were no internal divisions and there was a single centrally located hearth, with wooden benches for sleeping.
The economy must have produced surpluses to enable some of the population to be specialized in the construction of hypogea and the production of specialized artefacts, used for trade with neighbouring communities for luxury goods in gold and seashells. There is archaeological evidence for the manufacture of textiles, and the pottery was very varied in form and decoration. Tools such as axes, hatchets and hoes were made from hard stone and hafted in wood.
The park comprises several zones of pre-Hispanic underground tombs: Alto del Aguacate, loma de San Andres, Alto de Segovia and Alto de Buende. Underground tombs with side chambers have been found over the whole of America, from Mexico to north-western Argentina, but the largest concentration is in Colombia. However, it is not only the number and concentration of these tombs at Tierradentro that is unique: they are exceptional testimony to a pre-Hispanic society that has disappeared. These hypogea comprising a vertical shaft, helicoidal stairs, entrance hall and side chamber with central and surrounding columns on a large oval floor-plan, and in particular, carved anthropomorphic representations and polychrome paintings, are unique in America.
The hypogea were excavated below mountains ridges or into flattened hills on rocky subsoil. Their uniqueness lies in their large size and the staircases which in some cases gives access to a hall. The vaulted ceilings, walls and columns of the burial chambers are often decorated with geometric zoomorphic and anthropomorphic linear designs, painted in red and black mineral pigments on a white background. The smaller hypogea vary from 2.5 m to 7 m in depth, with oval floors 2.5-3 m wide, while the chambers of the largest examples may be 10-12 m wide. Most impressive of the latter are those with two or three free-standing central columns and several decorated pilasters along the walls with niches between them.
The symbolic symmetry achieved between the houses of the living above ground and the underground hypogea for the dead, by means of a limited but elegant number of elements, not only conveys a pleasant aesthetic sensation but also evokes a powerful image of the importance of a new stage into which the deceased has entered and the continuity between life and death, between the living and the ancestors.
The magnitude of the underground works and the way in which human remains were disposed inside the hypogea indicate the existence of a hierarchical social and political structure based on chiefs with priestly functions. Burial rites involved two stages. Primary burial in simple graves was followed by secondary deposition of the bones, often after cremation, or mixed with red hearth, inside the hypogea, either in elaborately decorated urns or in graves on the floor of the burial chamber.
The stone statues of the Tierradentro region are of great importance. They are carved from stone of volcanic origin and represent standing human figures, with their upper limbs placed on their chests. Masculine figures have banded head-dresses, long cloths and various adornments whereas female figures wear turbans, sleeveless blouses and skirts. This statuary is very similar to that of San Agustín Archeological Park (another World Heritage property) in form and technique.
Source: UNESCO/CLT/WHC

Historical Description

The present state of archaeological and anthropological knowledge suggests that the builders of the hypogea (underground tombs), in the period AD 500-900, lived on the mountain Slopes and valleys in the area. In the valleys they established small settlements whilst on the hillsides the settlement was dispersed, close to the fields. The oval-plan buildings were built on artificial terraces, with rammed earth floors. The wooden frames were filled with wattle-and-daub (using maize canes) and the roofs were thatched. There were no internal divisions and a single centrally located hearth, with wooden benches for sleeping.
The basis of the economy was agriculture, especially maize, pumpkin, and beans, with yucca in the warmer regions and potatoes in the colder; coca was planted for use in certain communal activities, as is the custom in latter-day Paez communities. This diet was supplemented with fish, wild fruits, deer, rabbits, armadillos, and birds. salt was obtained by evaporation of saline spring water.
The economy must have produced surpluses to enable some of the population to be specialized in the construction of hypogea and the production of specialized artefacts, used for trade with neighbouring communities for luxury goods in gold and sea-shells. There is archaeological evidence for the manufacture of textiles, and the pottery was very varied in form and decoration. Tools such as axes, hatchets, and hoes were made of hard stone and hafted in wood.
The magnitude of the underground works and the way in which human remains were disposed inside the hypogea indicate the existence Of a hierarchical social and political structure, based on chiefs with priestly functions. Burial rites involved two stages. primary burial in simple graves was followed by secondary deposition of the bones, often after cremation, or mixed with red earth, inside the hypogea, either in elaborately decorated urns or in graves on the floor of the burial chamber.
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