﻿Vol.2] 
  ANDEAN 
  HIGHLANDS 
  — 
  BENNETT 
  53 
  

  

  the 
  Arhuaco 
  language, 
  in 
  turn 
  related 
  to 
  the 
  Chibcha. 
  Although 
  

   possibly 
  descendants 
  of 
  the 
  Tairona, 
  the 
  contemporary 
  Indian 
  cultures 
  

   do 
  not 
  assist 
  much 
  in 
  explaining 
  the 
  more 
  elaborate 
  development 
  in 
  

   the 
  past. 
  Northeast 
  of 
  Santa 
  Marta 
  on 
  the 
  dry 
  Goajiro 
  Peninsula, 
  

   the 
  Indians 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  name 
  who 
  today 
  maintain 
  a 
  culture 
  highly 
  

   influenced 
  by 
  Western 
  contact, 
  belong 
  clearly 
  in 
  Tropical 
  Forest 
  

   pattern. 
  

  

  Around 
  the 
  headwaters 
  of 
  the 
  Magdalena 
  Eiver 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  Tierra- 
  

   dentro 
  region, 
  between 
  the 
  upper 
  Magdalena 
  and 
  the 
  Cauca 
  Rivers, 
  

   the 
  rolling, 
  forest-covered 
  mountains 
  are 
  continuous. 
  Here 
  again, 
  

   as 
  in 
  so 
  many 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  Colombian 
  Highlands, 
  small 
  agricultural 
  

   plots 
  and 
  small 
  isolated 
  clusters 
  of 
  houses 
  were 
  located 
  on 
  the 
  river 
  

   flats 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  mountain 
  slopes. 
  The 
  surviving 
  Chibchan-speakmg 
  

   tribes, 
  the 
  Paniquita, 
  Pdez, 
  Pantdgora, 
  Pijao, 
  and 
  Andaki, 
  still 
  main- 
  

   tain 
  this 
  pattern. 
  Two 
  distinctive 
  archeological 
  periods 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  

   this 
  region. 
  The 
  first, 
  designated 
  as 
  San 
  Agustin, 
  is 
  centered 
  around 
  

   the 
  headwaters 
  of 
  the 
  Magdalena 
  River 
  and 
  is 
  noted 
  for 
  its 
  carved 
  

   stone 
  statues 
  representing 
  humans, 
  anthropomorphic 
  beings, 
  animals, 
  

   and 
  birds. 
  Small 
  dwelling 
  sites 
  and 
  mounds 
  containing 
  stone-lined 
  

   temples 
  are 
  characteristic. 
  This 
  period 
  is 
  presumably 
  quite 
  old 
  in 
  

   time, 
  but 
  in 
  spite 
  of 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  statues 
  and 
  the 
  labor 
  which 
  

   must 
  have 
  been 
  necessary 
  to 
  build 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  temple 
  mounds, 
  there 
  

   is 
  no 
  evidence 
  of 
  great 
  population 
  density 
  or 
  elaborate 
  social 
  organi- 
  

   zation. 
  The 
  other 
  major 
  archeological 
  period 
  is 
  named 
  after 
  the 
  

   region 
  of 
  Tierradentro. 
  It 
  is 
  characterized 
  by 
  elaborate, 
  subterra- 
  

   nean 
  chambers 
  with 
  a 
  large 
  central 
  room 
  surrounded 
  by 
  niches 
  in 
  

   which 
  the 
  walls 
  are 
  carved 
  in 
  relief 
  and 
  painted 
  with 
  geometric 
  de- 
  

   signs 
  in 
  black, 
  white, 
  red, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  yellow. 
  However, 
  there 
  

   is 
  no 
  evidence 
  of 
  large 
  population 
  or 
  complex 
  organization. 
  

  

  The 
  final 
  region 
  in 
  the 
  Colombian 
  Highlands 
  is 
  the 
  southern 
  part 
  

   in 
  the 
  Department 
  of 
  Narifio. 
  Here 
  the 
  principal 
  intermont 
  basin 
  

   is 
  in 
  reality 
  one 
  of 
  a 
  series 
  which 
  extends 
  through 
  Ecuador 
  and, 
  from 
  

   a 
  practical 
  point 
  of 
  view, 
  pertains 
  geographically 
  (as 
  well 
  as 
  culturally) 
  

   to 
  the 
  Ecuadorian 
  Highlands 
  rather 
  than 
  to 
  Colombia. 
  The 
  Pasto 
  

   and 
  Quillacinga 
  tribes 
  were 
  in 
  this 
  region. 
  

  

  Eight 
  major 
  geographical 
  areas 
  with 
  distinct 
  styles 
  of 
  materials 
  

   are 
  recognized 
  by 
  archeologists 
  in 
  Colombia, 
  namely, 
  Tairona, 
  Chibcha, 
  

   San 
  Agustin, 
  Tierradentro, 
  Narifio, 
  Upper 
  Cauca, 
  Quimbaya, 
  and 
  

   Sinu. 
  All 
  these 
  fall 
  within 
  the 
  Highland 
  regions, 
  since 
  the 
  archeolog- 
  

   ical 
  remains 
  of 
  the 
  lowlands 
  of 
  Colombia 
  are 
  virtually 
  unknown. 
  

   These 
  eight 
  major 
  areas 
  are 
  represented 
  by 
  well-made 
  ceramics, 
  evi- 
  

   dence 
  of 
  a 
  competent 
  weaving, 
  excellent 
  metallurgy, 
  and 
  some 
  elabo- 
  

   ration 
  of 
  burial 
  methods. 
  However, 
  except 
  for 
  the 
  Chibcha 
  and, 
  more 
  

   dubiously, 
  the 
  Tairona, 
  there 
  is 
  little 
  evidence 
  of 
  large 
  concentrated 
  

   populations, 
  advanced 
  political 
  organization, 
  or 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  

  

  