﻿Vol. 
  2] 
  HIGHLAND 
  TRIBES, 
  S. 
  COLOMBIA 
  — 
  HERNANDEZ 
  DE 
  ALBA 
  957 
  

  

  deformed 
  the 
  skull 
  by 
  tying 
  two 
  boards 
  to 
  the 
  heads 
  of 
  newborn 
  

   babies, 
  one 
  behind 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  in 
  front, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  produce 
  an 
  anterior- 
  

   posterior 
  deformation, 
  as 
  evidenced 
  by 
  the 
  skulls 
  recently 
  excavated. 
  

  

  MANUFACTURES 
  

  

  The 
  Pijao 
  smelted 
  gold 
  and 
  copper 
  and 
  alloyed 
  the 
  two. 
  They 
  

   were 
  expert 
  at 
  cutting 
  metals 
  by 
  abrasion, 
  and 
  were 
  even 
  able 
  to 
  cut 
  

   the 
  iron 
  and 
  steel 
  of 
  Spanish 
  weapons. 
  The 
  process 
  consisted 
  of 
  

   rubbing 
  twisted 
  cotton 
  threads 
  with 
  sand 
  and 
  water 
  across 
  the 
  object 
  

   they 
  wanted 
  to 
  cut. 
  The 
  results 
  amazed 
  the 
  chroniclers. 
  

  

  They 
  made 
  several 
  types 
  of 
  earthenware, 
  among 
  them 
  a 
  kind 
  of 
  

   large 
  pitcher, 
  which 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  conquerors 
  was 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  

   rattan 
  net, 
  probably 
  for 
  its 
  protection 
  or 
  for 
  convenience 
  in 
  carrying 
  

   it. 
  

  

  Other 
  manufactures 
  included 
  calabashes, 
  used 
  as 
  containers 
  for 
  

   water 
  and 
  for 
  personal 
  effects. 
  They 
  made 
  polished-stone 
  artifacts 
  

   and 
  a 
  few 
  small 
  woven 
  cotton 
  blankets. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  important 
  weapon 
  was 
  the 
  spear, 
  which 
  measured 
  25 
  

   "palmos" 
  and 
  had 
  a 
  fire-hardened 
  point. 
  15 
  They 
  also 
  used 
  wooden 
  

   clubs 
  (macanas) 
  and, 
  for 
  defense, 
  sometimes 
  rolled 
  rocks 
  downhill 
  

   against 
  their 
  enemies. 
  

  

  SOCIAL 
  AND 
  POLITICAL 
  ORGANIZATION 
  

  

  The 
  sociopolitical 
  unit 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  the 
  small, 
  exogamous 
  

   local 
  group 
  (cacicado), 
  which 
  consisted 
  of 
  several 
  polygynous 
  families, 
  

   each 
  occupying 
  its 
  own 
  house. 
  Each 
  cacicado 
  had 
  a 
  chief, 
  who 
  en- 
  

   joyed 
  prominence 
  and 
  maintained 
  a 
  solemn 
  demeanor. 
  There 
  was 
  a 
  

   distinct 
  class 
  of 
  shamans 
  (mohanes) 
  . 
  The 
  cacidos 
  were 
  independent, 
  

   but 
  united 
  in 
  time 
  of 
  war. 
  Smoke 
  signals 
  were 
  used 
  to 
  call 
  meetings 
  or 
  

   transmit 
  messages. 
  

  

  WARFARE 
  

  

  Warfare, 
  aboriginally 
  against 
  neighboring 
  tribes 
  and 
  later 
  against 
  

   the 
  Spaniards, 
  was 
  the 
  main 
  preoccupation 
  of 
  the 
  Pijao. 
  They 
  

   fought 
  bravely 
  and 
  well, 
  and 
  several 
  times 
  attacked 
  the 
  new 
  Spanish 
  

   settlements 
  of 
  Buga, 
  Cartago, 
  Ibague, 
  Neiva, 
  Timana, 
  and 
  La 
  Plata. 
  

   With 
  their 
  bodies 
  covered 
  with 
  bixa, 
  the 
  peculiar 
  odor 
  of 
  which 
  often 
  

   betrayed 
  their 
  presence 
  in 
  ambush, 
  they 
  attacked 
  during 
  the 
  day 
  or 
  

   night, 
  with 
  much 
  yelling 
  and 
  music, 
  and 
  often 
  succeeded 
  in 
  sur- 
  

   prising 
  their 
  foe. 
  They 
  were 
  expert 
  swimmers, 
  and 
  could 
  cross 
  the 
  

   Magdalena 
  River 
  with 
  a 
  young 
  prisoner 
  in 
  each 
  hand. 
  

  

  Prisoners 
  of 
  war 
  were 
  sacrificed 
  and 
  the 
  war 
  dead 
  were 
  eaten. 
  

   The 
  Pijao 
  kept 
  the 
  skulls 
  as 
  trophies, 
  which 
  they 
  piled 
  up 
  and 
  

  

  15 
  An 
  old 
  song 
  about 
  the 
  chieftain, 
  Don 
  Baltazar. 
  is 
  still 
  popular 
  in 
  Colombia. 
  It 
  reads, 
  "Spear, 
  do 
  not 
  

   fall 
  on 
  the 
  ground— 
  because 
  the 
  Pijaos 
  are 
  coming." 
  Another 
  one 
  says, 
  "Such 
  was 
  the 
  strength 
  of 
  Don 
  

   Baltazar 
  that 
  he 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  strung 
  a 
  hundred 
  and 
  fifty 
  men 
  on 
  his 
  spear." 
  

  

  