﻿838 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  E. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  3. 
  QUIMBAYA 
  

  

  The 
  central 
  Cauca 
  Valley 
  in 
  the 
  Departments 
  of 
  Caldas 
  and 
  

   Antioquia 
  is 
  no 
  longer 
  marked 
  by 
  extensive 
  river 
  flats, 
  but 
  rather 
  by 
  

   rolling 
  hills 
  between 
  the 
  river 
  and 
  the 
  flanking 
  mountains. 
  This 
  

   section 
  of 
  the 
  Cauca 
  and 
  the 
  nearby 
  Quindio 
  Valley 
  are 
  designated 
  as 
  

   the 
  Quimbaya 
  archeological 
  zone. 
  Some 
  authors 
  wish 
  to 
  consider 
  the 
  

   Quindio 
  as 
  a 
  distinct 
  subdivision, 
  but 
  the 
  archeological 
  materials 
  do 
  

   not 
  confirm 
  this. 
  Although 
  the 
  Quimbaya 
  area 
  is 
  densely 
  populated 
  

   today, 
  there 
  is 
  little 
  evidence 
  of 
  any 
  such 
  density 
  in 
  the 
  past, 
  in 
  

   spite 
  of 
  the 
  rather 
  sizable 
  collections 
  of 
  antiquities. 
  

  

  The 
  Quimbaya 
  style 
  dominates 
  the 
  region; 
  in 
  fact, 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  

   one 
  that 
  has 
  yet 
  been 
  isolated. 
  Quimbaya 
  is 
  outstanding 
  in 
  variety 
  

   and 
  skill 
  of 
  goldwork 
  and 
  in 
  distinctive 
  ceramics. 
  All 
  of 
  these 
  materials 
  

   come 
  from 
  the 
  graves 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  extensively, 
  if 
  not 
  scientifically, 
  

   excavated. 
  Stone 
  constructions, 
  habitation 
  sites, 
  mounds, 
  and 
  other 
  

   surface 
  ruins 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  encountered. 
  One 
  author 
  refers 
  to 
  

   stone 
  coffins 
  and 
  covers, 
  but 
  generally 
  speaking, 
  neither 
  statues 
  nor 
  

   other 
  carvings 
  are 
  known 
  for 
  this 
  culture. 
  

  

  Graves. 
  — 
  Most 
  graves 
  are 
  variants 
  of 
  the 
  shaft-and-chamber 
  type. 
  

   The 
  shafts 
  are 
  both 
  square 
  and 
  round 
  and 
  range 
  from 
  about 
  3 
  to 
  32 
  

   feet 
  (1 
  to 
  10 
  m.) 
  in 
  depth, 
  and 
  there 
  are 
  even 
  some 
  reports 
  of 
  80-foot 
  

   (25 
  m.) 
  depths. 
  Some 
  shafts 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  contain 
  cut 
  out 
  steps. 
  The 
  

   chambers 
  are 
  described 
  as 
  square, 
  oval, 
  or 
  round 
  in 
  floor 
  plan 
  with 
  

   arched 
  or 
  gable-type 
  roofs. 
  There 
  are 
  unconfirmed 
  descriptions 
  of 
  

   Tierradentro 
  style 
  chambers 
  with 
  supporting 
  central 
  columns 
  and 
  

   geometric 
  painted 
  designs. 
  Karely, 
  the 
  graves 
  were 
  simple 
  pits, 
  or 
  

   pits 
  lined 
  with 
  stones. 
  Many 
  types 
  of 
  burials 
  have 
  been 
  attributed 
  to 
  

   the 
  Quimbaya, 
  including 
  flexed, 
  extended, 
  multiple, 
  urn, 
  cremated, 
  

   primary, 
  and 
  secondary 
  with 
  red 
  paint. 
  Commonly, 
  large 
  quantities 
  

   of 
  ceramics 
  and 
  gold 
  objects 
  were 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  graves. 
  

  

  Metal 
  objects. 
  — 
  Goldworking 
  is 
  an 
  outstanding 
  characteristic 
  of 
  

   Quimbaya 
  (pi. 
  170). 
  Little 
  silver 
  was 
  available 
  and 
  pure 
  copper 
  was 
  

   rare, 
  so 
  that 
  metallurgy 
  was 
  largely 
  limited 
  to 
  pure 
  gold 
  or 
  a 
  combina- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  gold 
  and 
  copper 
  called 
  tumbaga. 
  The 
  metallurgical 
  techniques 
  

   are 
  numerous. 
  Gold 
  was 
  melted, 
  forged, 
  and 
  cast 
  in 
  molds. 
  Some 
  

   of 
  this 
  is 
  solid 
  casting, 
  some 
  hollow 
  of 
  the 
  "cire 
  perdue" 
  type. 
  Some 
  

   of 
  the 
  goldwork, 
  although 
  probably 
  cast, 
  has 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  wire 
  

   filigree. 
  Gold 
  was 
  also 
  hammered 
  flat, 
  or 
  decorated 
  with 
  repousse" 
  

   design 
  by 
  hammering 
  over 
  a 
  relief-carved 
  stone. 
  A 
  soldering 
  tech- 
  

   nique 
  was 
  commonly 
  employed. 
  Different 
  qualities 
  of 
  gold 
  were 
  

   combined 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  object 
  as 
  a 
  decorative 
  device. 
  

  

  The 
  collections 
  present 
  a 
  great 
  variety 
  of 
  objects. 
  There 
  are 
  nose 
  

   rings 
  of 
  triangular, 
  half-moon, 
  round, 
  and 
  elongated 
  shapes. 
  Hollow 
  

   jars, 
  bottles, 
  idols, 
  and 
  vases 
  are 
  both 
  plain 
  and 
  decorated. 
  Among 
  

   the 
  many 
  ornaments 
  are 
  breastplates, 
  diadems, 
  pendants, 
  rectangular 
  

  

  