﻿56 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  E. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  a 
  few 
  of 
  the 
  root 
  plants. 
  The 
  principal 
  agricultural 
  implements 
  were 
  

   a 
  digging 
  stick 
  and 
  a 
  wooden 
  spade. 
  It 
  is 
  doubtful 
  if 
  irrigation 
  was 
  

   known 
  in 
  pre-Spanish 
  times, 
  and 
  probably 
  the 
  Chibcha 
  were 
  less 
  versed 
  

   than 
  the 
  Inca 
  in 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  fertilizers 
  and 
  in 
  soil 
  conservation. 
  This 
  

   region 
  is 
  beyond 
  the 
  natural 
  range 
  of 
  llamas 
  and 
  alpacas, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  

   dog 
  and 
  the 
  guinea 
  pig 
  were 
  the 
  only 
  domesticated 
  animals. 
  The 
  

   absence 
  of 
  suitable 
  domesticated 
  animals 
  made 
  the 
  high 
  paramos 
  

   virtually 
  worthless 
  to 
  the 
  Chibcha. 
  

  

  The 
  common 
  weapons 
  were 
  the 
  spear 
  and 
  spear 
  thrower, 
  darts, 
  

   slings, 
  and 
  shields. 
  The 
  bow 
  and 
  arrow 
  was 
  known, 
  but 
  was 
  not 
  of 
  

   great 
  importance. 
  A 
  unique 
  weapon 
  was 
  a 
  two-bladed 
  wooden 
  sword. 
  

   Transportation 
  was 
  limited 
  to 
  foot 
  travel 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  lack 
  of 
  

   animals 
  and 
  of 
  streams 
  suitable 
  for 
  navigation. 
  

  

  Stones, 
  set 
  up 
  at 
  intervals 
  in 
  circles, 
  mark 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  house 
  sites, 
  

   but 
  in 
  general, 
  building 
  walls 
  were 
  of 
  poles, 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  coated 
  with 
  

   clay 
  plaster. 
  Stone 
  masonry 
  and 
  construction 
  with 
  adobe 
  brick 
  were 
  

   unknown. 
  The 
  chiefs 
  lived 
  in 
  large 
  compounds 
  surrounded 
  by 
  pole 
  

   palisades. 
  However, 
  there 
  were 
  no 
  large 
  public 
  works, 
  such 
  as 
  large 
  

   religious 
  constructions, 
  pyramids, 
  mounds, 
  or 
  fortified 
  sites, 
  which 
  

   would 
  have 
  required 
  the 
  organization 
  of 
  mass 
  labor. 
  The 
  houses 
  were 
  

   arranged 
  in 
  villages 
  which 
  never 
  grew 
  to 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  true 
  cities. 
  

  

  The 
  craftsmanship 
  was 
  in 
  many 
  senses 
  inferior 
  in 
  quality 
  to 
  other 
  

   areas 
  of 
  Colombia. 
  Ceramics 
  were 
  competently 
  made, 
  but 
  there 
  was 
  

   no 
  great 
  variety 
  of 
  forms 
  nor 
  outstanding 
  artistry 
  in 
  decoration. 
  

   Weaving 
  fibers 
  were 
  limited 
  to 
  the 
  domesticated 
  cotton. 
  The 
  most 
  

   elaborate 
  decoration 
  of 
  cloth 
  was 
  in 
  painting, 
  either 
  with 
  roller 
  stamps 
  

   or 
  freehand. 
  Copper 
  was 
  rare 
  and 
  bronze 
  was 
  unknown. 
  Most 
  

   metallurgy 
  was 
  in 
  gold 
  or 
  in 
  a 
  combination 
  of 
  gold, 
  silver, 
  and 
  copper, 
  

   called 
  tumbaga. 
  Although 
  goldworking 
  techniques 
  were 
  numerous, 
  

   workmanship 
  was 
  less 
  competent 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Quimbaya. 
  There 
  

   was 
  no 
  stone 
  carving, 
  although 
  wooden 
  statues 
  have 
  been 
  reported. 
  

  

  The 
  clothing 
  followed 
  the 
  Andean 
  pattern: 
  breechclout, 
  shirt, 
  and 
  

   shawl. 
  Footgear 
  was 
  not 
  worn. 
  Noseplugs 
  and 
  earplugs 
  were 
  

   common, 
  and 
  the 
  body 
  was 
  painted 
  with 
  roller 
  stamps. 
  

  

  The 
  hair-cutting, 
  naming 
  ceremony 
  for 
  children, 
  already 
  mentioned 
  

   for 
  Northwest 
  Argentina, 
  the 
  Central 
  Andes, 
  and 
  Ecuador, 
  was 
  also 
  

   practiced 
  by 
  the 
  Chibcha. 
  Puberty 
  ceremonies 
  for 
  both 
  sexes 
  were 
  of 
  

   considerable 
  importance. 
  Burial 
  was 
  elaborate, 
  especially 
  for 
  chiefs, 
  

   although 
  the 
  pattern 
  of 
  ancestor 
  worship 
  was 
  not 
  overemphasized. 
  

  

  Positions 
  of 
  chiefs 
  and 
  priests 
  descended 
  through 
  the 
  matrilineal 
  

   line, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  some 
  evidence 
  for 
  matrilineal 
  descent 
  in 
  other 
  aspects 
  

   of 
  the 
  culture. 
  Clans, 
  however, 
  were 
  not 
  very 
  important, 
  and 
  

   property 
  was 
  owned 
  individually 
  rather 
  than 
  collectively. 
  The 
  three 
  

   major 
  classes 
  in 
  Chibcha 
  society 
  were 
  the 
  nobles, 
  the 
  commoners, 
  and 
  

   the 
  slaves, 
  that 
  is, 
  prisoners 
  of 
  war. 
  This 
  class 
  system 
  was 
  gradually 
  

  

  