Archaeological pearls in Colombia
The impressive archaeological sites of San Agustin and Tierradentro are located in the central Andes and can be reached from the beautiful colonial Popayán. Both sites contain sculptures and decorations whose motifs have many similarities. They are often counted in the same pre-Columbian culture.
San Agustin
The archaeological sites of San Agustin consist mainly of statues and contain mesitas. Mesitas, literally tables, are a kind of hunebedden that were supported by statues and surrounded by erected stones. In the Bosque de las Estatuas, the sculpture forest, a lot of images are grouped and you get an overview of the remarkable art of this culture.
Tierradentro
The archaeological site Tierradentro consists of five excavations, Alto del Aguacate, Alto de San Andrés, Alto de Segovia, Alto del Duende and El Tablón, where underground burial chambers have been found. A spiral staircase gives access to the rooms decorated with special motifs. The large rooms are 5 to 8 meters underground and contain niches in which the dead were kept. The whole complex can be visited on foot, a beautiful area for walking. Nearby are villages of the native Paéz which you can also find at the local markets.
