56 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 146 
Within this geographical framework, the archeology of Colombia 
introduces a series of problems whose solution is rendered difficult by 
the scarcity of systematic data. Although a few areas, such as the 
Caribbean and Pacific coastal regions, have been subjected to consid- 
erable archeological exploration, the Andean region has been investi- 
gated only in restricted areas, and the vast eastern lowlands are com- 
pletely unknown. 
This situation has made it seem most prudent to summarize the data 
at present available within a framework of large periods based on 
carbon-14 dates obtained from various Colombian sites, and from 
sites with related materials in Venezuela, Panama, and Ecuador. 
Within these periods, except for the first, represented only by surface 
collections, phases of cultural development can be proposed. These 
phases are regional in character and emphasize the northern portion 
of the country, where the most information is available at the present 
time. 
Period I (f-3000 B.C.). — The earliest cultural remains in Colom- 
bia have been found up to the present time only in surface sites. The 
best documented come from the lowlands. Early lithic industries are 
reported from the lower Rio Sinu, at the site of San Nicolas de Bari 
(Reichel-Dolmatoff, 1957, pp. 123-125), and in the Choco region on 
the Pacific coast, along the Catru and Jurivida Rivers (Reichel-Dolma- 
toff, personal communication). The flint industry of San Nicolas de 
Bari consists of scrapers with evidence of use, and a number of nodules 
that seem to have functioned as hammers. In contrast, the Catru com- 
plex includes finished artifacts such as scrapers, blades with serrated 
edges, perforators, burins, and knives. The Catru and Jurivida com- 
plexes differ considerably technologically, and the quartzite artifacts 
of Jurivida, which are larger than those characterizing the Catru 
complex, show some resemblance to the early lithic material from El 
Inga (fig. 7) and Santa Lucia, near Quito in Ecuador. It should be 
noted that none of these early Colombian lithic industries contains 
projectile points. 
A single possible site of this period in the Andean region is that 
recently discovered by Hans Biirgl at Tumba de Garzon near the mouth 
of the Quebrada Ma jo on the Rio Magdalena, Department of Huila. 
The material consists of various artifacts of petrified wood associated 
with remains of mastadon and megatherium at the base of a Pleisto- 
cene terrace. The lithic material was classified into two groups ac- 
cording to size : ''Large rounded stones that could have been used for 
pulverizing or pounding, and small stones with pointed ends or cut- 
