﻿Vol. 
  2] 
  THE 
  CHIBCHA 
  — 
  KROEBER 
  901 
  

  

  which 
  were 
  most 
  likely 
  used 
  for 
  printing 
  cloth. 
  Their 
  designs, 
  which 
  

   include 
  a 
  variant 
  of 
  the 
  inter-American 
  step-fret, 
  are 
  not 
  unpleasing, 
  

   and 
  contain 
  possibilities 
  of 
  development; 
  but 
  the 
  execution 
  of 
  the 
  

   stamps 
  is 
  not 
  too 
  careful. 
  A 
  really 
  self-respecting 
  textile 
  art 
  would 
  

   hardly 
  have 
  renounced 
  woven 
  pattern 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  the 
  Chibcha 
  did. 
  

   At 
  least 
  some 
  of 
  their 
  cotton 
  came 
  from 
  the 
  Panche, 
  who 
  received 
  one 
  

   manta 
  in 
  trade 
  for 
  fiber 
  sufficient 
  to 
  weave 
  three. 
  

  

  Weapons. 
  — 
  See 
  War 
  and 
  Weapons, 
  below. 
  

  

  Pottery. 
  — 
  A 
  possibly 
  late 
  import 
  would 
  not 
  hold 
  true 
  for 
  ceramics; 
  

   and 
  though 
  Colombian 
  pottery 
  is 
  never 
  of 
  the 
  best, 
  Chibcha 
  ware 
  fails 
  

   to 
  attain 
  first 
  ranking 
  within 
  it. 
  There 
  is 
  some 
  painting, 
  some 
  incising, 
  

   and 
  a 
  good 
  deal 
  of 
  modeling, 
  but 
  little 
  good 
  finish. 
  In 
  fact, 
  there 
  is 
  

   too 
  much 
  modeling. 
  With 
  their 
  limited 
  control, 
  the 
  Chibcha 
  potters 
  

   might 
  have 
  achieved 
  pleasing 
  simple 
  shapes 
  and 
  decoration 
  if 
  they 
  had 
  

   concentrated 
  on 
  these 
  objectives. 
  But 
  as 
  in 
  their 
  gold 
  work, 
  simplicity 
  

   was 
  not 
  felt 
  as 
  desirable, 
  and 
  they 
  plunged 
  instead, 
  frequently, 
  into 
  

   effigies 
  of 
  misshapen 
  animals 
  or 
  human 
  figures 
  with 
  elaborate 
  neck- 
  

   laces, 
  distorted, 
  spindling 
  limbs, 
  and 
  exaggerated 
  faces. 
  In 
  these 
  

   faces, 
  and 
  perhaps 
  in 
  the 
  limbs, 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  the 
  goldcaster's 
  art 
  

   is 
  visible. 
  The 
  nose 
  begins 
  at 
  the 
  single 
  eyebrow 
  line, 
  which 
  extends 
  

   across 
  the 
  whole 
  face. 
  Eyes 
  and 
  mouth 
  are 
  most 
  frequently 
  made 
  by 
  

   applying 
  a 
  long 
  button 
  of 
  clay 
  and 
  then 
  grooving 
  this 
  lengthwise; 
  but 
  

   the 
  effect 
  is 
  very 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  narrow 
  ovals 
  of 
  wax 
  thread 
  used 
  for 
  

   designating 
  the 
  same 
  features 
  in 
  gold. 
  

  

  ECONOMICS 
  

  

  Markets 
  were 
  held 
  every 
  4 
  days 
  in 
  the 
  principal 
  settlements, 
  such 
  

   as 
  Bacata, 
  Zipaquira, 
  Turmeque, 
  and 
  Tunja. 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  concrete 
  

   statement 
  which 
  comes 
  nearest 
  to 
  indicating 
  these 
  places 
  as 
  towns 
  on 
  

   the 
  Mexican 
  model. 
  The 
  differences 
  in 
  elevation 
  must 
  have 
  resulted 
  in 
  

   some 
  variety 
  of 
  local 
  food 
  products, 
  not 
  to 
  mention 
  cotton 
  and 
  salt, 
  

   and 
  valuables 
  such 
  as 
  emeralds 
  and 
  copper. 
  The 
  latter 
  was 
  obtained 
  

   at 
  Moniquira. 
  

  

  Foreign 
  trade 
  was 
  fairly 
  extensive. 
  The 
  Chibcha 
  nobility 
  wanted 
  

   gold 
  — 
  for 
  offerings, 
  possession, 
  and 
  burial; 
  and 
  this 
  had 
  all 
  to 
  be 
  

   imported. 
  What 
  the 
  Chibcha 
  gave 
  in 
  return 
  was 
  excellent 
  salt, 
  

   abundance 
  of 
  cotton 
  cloth, 
  and 
  emeralds. 
  They 
  got 
  these 
  last 
  by 
  

   washings 
  at 
  Somondoco 
  in 
  the 
  rainy 
  season. 
  A 
  better 
  quality 
  was 
  

   obtainable 
  across 
  the 
  Cordillera 
  in 
  enemy 
  Muzo 
  territory; 
  possibly 
  

   trade 
  went 
  on 
  between 
  hostilities. 
  Gold 
  was 
  secured 
  at 
  international 
  

   markets 
  or 
  "fairs" 
  on 
  the 
  Magdalena 
  River 
  between 
  Neiva 
  and 
  the 
  

   Coello, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  Suarez 
  at 
  Sorocota. 
  There 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  

   moneylike 
  disks 
  (tejuelos) 
  of 
  cast 
  gold, 
  measured 
  in 
  the 
  curve 
  of 
  the 
  

   index 
  finger 
  against 
  the 
  first 
  joint 
  of 
  the 
  thumb, 
  or 
  if 
  larger, 
  with 
  a 
  

   string; 
  the 
  measure 
  of 
  thickness 
  is 
  not 
  stated. 
  The 
  balance 
  seems 
  to 
  

  

  