﻿Vol.2] 
  ARCHEOLOGY 
  OF 
  COLOMBIA 
  — 
  BENNETT 
  843 
  

  

  some 
  without 
  stone 
  slab 
  covers. 
  Dry 
  caves 
  in 
  the 
  region 
  were 
  also 
  

   utilized 
  for 
  burials. 
  In 
  one 
  cave, 
  cremated 
  burials 
  under 
  inverted 
  

   bowls 
  were 
  found 
  at 
  a 
  level 
  slightly 
  below 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  classical 
  Chib- 
  

   cha. 
  The 
  direct 
  burials 
  are 
  either 
  extended 
  or 
  flexed, 
  and 
  mummy 
  

   bundles 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  drier 
  caves. 
  

  

  Gold 
  objects. 
  — 
  The 
  Chibcha 
  worked 
  in 
  gold 
  (pi. 
  172, 
  top, 
  left), 
  and 
  

   tumbaga, 
  although 
  in 
  general 
  with 
  less 
  skill 
  than 
  the 
  Quimbaya. 
  

   Most 
  of 
  the 
  standard 
  techniques 
  were 
  known, 
  however, 
  including 
  

   solid 
  and 
  hollow 
  (cire 
  perdue) 
  casting, 
  filigree, 
  gold-plate, 
  and 
  gold 
  

   leaf. 
  Strips 
  were 
  decorated 
  with 
  repousse 
  designs 
  by 
  hammering 
  

   over 
  relief-carved 
  stone. 
  Characteristic 
  of 
  Chibcha 
  are 
  fiat 
  cast 
  

   figurines 
  with 
  the 
  features 
  and 
  other 
  details 
  executed 
  in 
  gold 
  wire. 
  

   Idols, 
  birds, 
  and 
  animals 
  in 
  both 
  solid 
  and 
  hollow 
  casting 
  are 
  also 
  

   common. 
  Diadems 
  are 
  cut 
  out 
  from 
  thin 
  gold, 
  and 
  bangles 
  are 
  

   attached. 
  Crowns 
  are 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  fashion. 
  The 
  scepters 
  are 
  

   made 
  of 
  twisted 
  wire 
  and 
  topped 
  with 
  modeled 
  bird 
  figures. 
  The 
  

   most 
  elaborate 
  objects 
  represent 
  scenes, 
  composed 
  of 
  cut-out 
  figures 
  

   arranged 
  on 
  flat 
  platforms. 
  

  

  Textiles. 
  — 
  In 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  dry 
  caves, 
  pieces 
  of 
  cotton 
  cloth 
  have 
  

   been 
  preserved. 
  These 
  are 
  parts 
  of 
  large 
  rectangular 
  mantles 
  and 
  

   are 
  decorated 
  with 
  elaborate 
  geometric 
  painted 
  designs. 
  Some 
  of 
  

   the 
  designs 
  are 
  so 
  regular 
  that 
  they 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  applied 
  with 
  

   roller 
  stamps. 
  

  

  Ceramics. 
  — 
  Chibcha 
  ceramics 
  are 
  limited 
  in 
  variety 
  and 
  not 
  very 
  

   well 
  made. 
  Certainly, 
  they 
  represent 
  no 
  great 
  artistic 
  expression. 
  

   There 
  are 
  four 
  major 
  shape 
  categories: 
  A 
  short-collar 
  jar 
  has 
  a 
  

   globular 
  body 
  and 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  rim-to-body 
  handles. 
  Tall-collar 
  jars 
  

   include 
  some 
  with 
  and 
  some 
  without 
  single 
  flat 
  rim-to-body 
  handles. 
  

   The 
  collars 
  may 
  be 
  plain, 
  but 
  more 
  commonly 
  they 
  are 
  decorated 
  

   with 
  relief 
  or 
  painted 
  faces 
  and 
  figures 
  (pi. 
  172, 
  b). 
  Pedestal 
  bowls 
  

   (pi. 
  172, 
  c) 
  and 
  ollas 
  are 
  the 
  two 
  remaining 
  common 
  shapes. 
  Less 
  

   frequent 
  shapes 
  in 
  the 
  collections 
  are 
  double 
  bowls, 
  shoe-shaped 
  

   vessels, 
  open 
  bowls 
  with 
  basket 
  handles, 
  treasure 
  jars 
  and 
  covers, 
  and 
  

   shoulder 
  jars. 
  

  

  Most 
  of 
  the 
  ceramic 
  peices 
  are 
  monochrome. 
  Some, 
  however, 
  are 
  

   painted 
  in 
  red 
  on 
  an 
  orange, 
  buff, 
  or 
  a 
  white 
  base. 
  Others 
  are 
  deco- 
  

   rated 
  by 
  incision, 
  punch, 
  applique, 
  and 
  rarely 
  by 
  modeling. 
  Design 
  

   elements 
  are 
  geometrical 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  stylized 
  animal 
  

   and 
  human 
  figures. 
  The 
  commonest 
  geometric 
  elements 
  are 
  parallel 
  

   lines, 
  dots, 
  checkers, 
  concentric 
  circles, 
  triangles, 
  scrolls, 
  and 
  cross- 
  

   hatch. 
  

  

  Both 
  figurine 
  vases 
  (pi. 
  172, 
  a) 
  and 
  hollow 
  figurines 
  are 
  found, 
  

   representing 
  seated 
  figures, 
  standing 
  figures, 
  and 
  figures 
  seated 
  on 
  

   benches. 
  The 
  figurines 
  are 
  usually 
  decorated 
  with 
  incised 
  designs. 
  

  

  