Chibcha hieroglyph

Colombia's first inhabitants migrated from North and Central America. Some groups formed permanent settlements. Among those groups were the Chibchas (or "Muiscas" or "Muyscas") and the Tairona. Chibcha hieroglyph Copied from http://six. ... Chibcha hieroglyph Copied from http://six. ... Central America is the region of North America located between the southern border of Mexico and the northwest border of Colombia, in South America. ... A reference to colonization, or the resulting communities. ...

Geographical Extension

The Chibchas Linguistic communities were the most numerous, the most territorially extended and the most socio-economically developed of the prehispanic Colombians. By the 3rd century A.D., the Chibchas had established their civilization in the central Andes. At one point, the Chibchas occupied part of what is now Panama, and the high plains of the Eastern Sierra of Colombia. The areas that they occupied were the Departments of Santander (North and South), Boyacá and Cundinamarca, which were also the areas where the first farms and first industries were developed, and where the independence movement originated. They are currently the richest areas in Colombia. They represented the most populous zone between the Mexican and Inca empires. Next to the Quechua of Peru and the Aymara in Bolivia, the Chibchas of the eastern and north-eastern Highlands of Colombia were the most striking of the sedentary Indians in South America. Note that the geology in this article currently reflects views from the first decade of the 20th century. ... This word can easily be mistaken for a girls Christian name, and has been heard that way on various occasions. ... Gobernacion de Norte de Santander Categories: Departments of Colombia | Stub ... For alternate uses, see Santander. ... Boyacá is a department of Colombia, one of the original nine states of the United States of Colombia. Boyacá is centrally located within Colombia, almost entirely within the mountains of Eastern Cordillera, although the western end of the department extends to the Magdalena River at the town of Puerto Boyac... Cundinamarca is a department of Colombia, one of the original nine states of the United States of Colombia. Most of Cundinamarca is in the Eastern Cordillera, just south of Boyacá, bordered by the Magdalena River on the west, reaching down into the Amazon River basin on the east, and bordering... For other meanings of Inca, see Inca (disambiguation). ... Quechua (Standard Quechua, Runasimi Language of People) is an Native American language of South America. ... Aymara is the name of a South-American people and of their language. ... Highland or Highlands has these meanings:- The term highland is used in geography for any elevated mountainous plateau. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ...

Tribes

In the Oriental Andes, the Chibchas were composed of several tribes, who spoke the same language (Chibchan). Among them: Muiscas, Guanes, Laches and Chitareros. Chibchan languages are a language family indigenous to Colombia and Central America. ...

Pre-Conquest History

The Mesoamericans (Indians originally inhabiting Central America), who arrived in approximately 1200 B.C., introduced the cultivation of corn. The humid and somewhat less hotter climate brought better conditions for the intensive agriculture of corn, sedentarism, demographic growth & the organization of villages. These people built lithic monuments in El Infiernito, Villa de Leyva. They also exploited salt mines in Zipaquirá, Nemocón y Tausa.

They were followed by a second wave of Mesoamericans in 500 B.C. Artifacts from a number of distinct cultures, such as those in the areas around San Agustín (in present-day Huila Department), Tierra Dentro (Cauca Department), and Tumaco (Nariño Department), are believed to date from this period.

Between 400 and 300 B.C., the Chibchas traveled from Nicaragua and Honduras and reached Colombia, shortly before the Arawaks arrived from other parts of South America, such as Brazil, Uraguay, and Paraguay. Near the end of the first millennium A.D., the Caribs migrated from the Caribbean islands. These warlike newcomers supplanted the Chibchas in the lowlands and forced them to move to higher elevations. The term Arawak (from aru, the Lokono word for cassava flour), was used to designate the friendly Amerindians encountered by the Spanish in the Caribbean. ...

Economy

The Chibchas farmed, mined for salt and emeralds, and traded with other groups. They were skilled artists who were known for their pottery, gold work and cotton fabrics. They used emeralds as currency for trading. For other things of this name, see Emerald (disambiguation). ... A man shapes pottery as it turns on a wheel. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11 (IB), 6, d Density, Hardness 19. ... Cotton is a soft fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to the tropical and subtropical regions of both the Old World and the New World. ... For other things of this name, see Emerald (disambiguation). ...

The Chibchas had advanced cultivation techniques, and the area they occupied was very fertile. This, coupled with a very disciplined, skilled and experienced pool of agricultral labor, was later used by the Colonial farmers (encomenderos & hacendados).

"El Dorado" myth

In one of their rituals, the top priest or "cacique" covered his body with gold dust, rode a small boat to the center of the Gustavita Lagoon and submerged himself. This ceremony might have been the origin of the myth of "El Dorado", which attracted many Spanish adventurers, who came looking for places where there was plenty of gold, but never existed in reality. A ritual is a formalised, predetermined set of symbolic actions generally performed in a particular environment at a regular, recurring interval. ... For the computer game, see Myth (computer game). ... El Dorado is the name of a mythical country of gold which was supposedly in South America. ...

Culture

From the cultural point of view, the chibchas were similar to the Inca. They practiced agriculture with the help of an extensive irrigation system. They made cotton fabrics and were experts with gold, making very fine laminates decorated with wire or strip motives and very stylized anthropomorphic figures. The word culture comes from the Latin root colere (to inhabit, to cultivate, or to honor). ... For other meanings of Inca, see Inca (disambiguation). ... Irrigating cotton fields Irrigation in the Heart of the Sahara Irrigation (in agriculture) is the replacement or supplementation of rainfall with water from another source in order to grow crops. ... Anthropomorphism, also referred to as personification or prosopopeia, is the attribution of human characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, forces of nature, and others. ...

Linguistics

The Chibcha language (Chibchan) was so important in the area that when the Spanish conquerors came they had a communication problem in their quest to evangelize and use native resources. At some point they thought of using it as a main language for the new Kingdom of New Granada, at the same level of the Quechua, Aztec & Tupi. Chibchan languages are a language family indigenous to Colombia and Central America. ... Quechua (Standard Quechua, Runasimi Language of People) is an Native American language of South America. ... The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican people of central Mexico in the 14th, 15th and 16th century. ... Tupi is the name of a language family that was spoken along the Brazilian coast at the time of its discovery. ...

On May 10, 1783, through a decree called "cédula real" the Spanish colonialists prohibited the use of native languages. May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). ... 1783 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Religion

The creed of the Chibchas was similar to the pantheistic fetishism of American aborigines in general. Human sacrifices were not uncommon, but most of the offerings consisted of goods such as Gold, Emeralds, and Fruits of the field. Shamans, or Zeques, were numerous, and acted as medicine men, diviners and/or oracles. Specifically, Shaman (saman) is a term in Evenk, Manchu and other Manchu-Tungus languages for an intellectual and spiritual figure; who usually possess power and influence on other peoples in the tribe and performs several functions, one of which is analogous to the function of a healer in other cultures. ... Divination is the occultic practice of ascertaining information by supernatural means. ... For alternate usages of Oracle, see Oracle (disambiguation) An Oracle is a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic opinion; an infallible authority, usually spiritual in nature. ...

One of the Gods of the CHIBCHAS was CHIBCHACUM, protector of the people, of the farmers and the traders. According to a myth, Huitaca put a vengeance plan against the god BOCHICA. Huitaca spread bad teachings between the CHIBCHAS, who then gave themselves to lust, partying and were unwilling to work. This behavior offended CHIBCHACUM, who decided to punish them with torrential rains, which flooded the plains of Bacatá. Seeing that the rains would not stop, they asked for the intervention of the God BOCHICA to stop the malefice of CHIBCHABUM, offering BOCHICA sacrifices and fasting. However, BOCHICA did not respond to their calls until a long time after they started asking him. One day, when the Chibchas already thought that their God had abandoned them, they finally saw the first ray of sunlight after BOCHICA, with a stick of gold, opened a trench where the Bacatá plains had flooded. Thus, BOCHICA created the "Salto del Tequendama". When everything got back to normal, the Chibchas started seeding again and continued their offerings and sacrifices to the God BOCHICA.

The God BOCHICA designated the God CHIBCHACUM to carry the Earth on his shoulders. They called the earth "Pachamama" which means "Mother Earth". At that moment the Earth was sustained over 4 "Guayacanes". Because of this the Chibchas though that all earthquakes were due to the God CHIBCHACUM, who when tired of carrying the earth on one shoulder, passed the earth to the other shoulrder. That is why CHIBCHACUM was considered the God of the Earthquakes. It was also the protector of the traders and the farmers because it would make sure that the Earth would always be guarded and nothing would interrupt its equilibrium.

The myth of the God CHIBCHACUM is similar to some myths of other cultures, such as the Bible's universal deluge or the Greek Atlas designated to carry the Celestial Vault on his shoulders.

Housing

The Chibchas lived in villages, the houses being mostly circular, and of wood and thatch.

Politics

After the Inca, the chibchas constituted states under the strict personal control of the "caciques". They were a culturally developed civilization at the time they encountered the first Spanish conquistadores. A cacique is a tribal chief in Latin America, particularly of the Spanish West Indies from the 16th century. ... Conquistador (meaning Conqueror in the Spanish language) is the term used to refer to the soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under Spanish rule between the 15th and 17th centuries. ...

The Chibchas had a Clan System. At the head of each clan stood a Council, guided by the oracular utterances of the leading Shamans, while an elective war-chief (Uzaque or Cacique) represented the executive. Clan (disambiguation). ... A Council is a group of people who usually possess some powers of governance. ... Specifically, Shaman (saman) is a term in Evenk, Manchu and other Manchu-Tungus languages for an intellectual and spiritual figure; who usually possess power and influence on other peoples in the tribe and performs several functions, one of which is analogous to the function of a healer in other cultures. ... A cacique is a tribal chief in Latin America, particularly of the Spanish West Indies from the 16th century. ...

According to tradition, the tribe of Tunja was the most powerful of the Chibcha tribes until the second half of the 15th Century.

Spanish Conquest

The Spanish Conquistadores (conquerors) arrived between 1499 and 1536, looking for gold and emeralds. They dislocated the Chibchas' political and social structures. The first Spanish settlement was established on the Caribbean coast and was called Santa Marta. The capital city of Santa Fé de Bogotá was founded in 1538. The Chibchas submitted to the Spanish conquest (almost peacefully) in 1541. In 1550, military rule was replaced by a civil administration. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Spanish brought in many thousands of slaves from Africa to work in mines and on farms. By the 17th century the Chibcha culture was practically extinguished. Events July 22 - Battle of Dornach - The Swiss decisively defeat the Imperial army of Emperor Maximilian I. July 28 - First Battle of Lepanto - The Turkish navy wins a decisive victory over the Venetians. ... Events February 2 - Spaniard Pedro de Mendoza founds Buenos Aires, Argentina. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11 (IB), 6, d Density, Hardness 19. ... For other things of this name, see Emerald (disambiguation). ... Santa Marta was the first city to be founded in Colombia and South America. ... Bogota is also a town in New Jersey, see Bogota, New Jersey. ... Events Treaty of Nagyvarad. ... Events The first official translation of the entire Bible in Swedish February 12 - Pedro de Valdivia founds Santiago de Chile. ... Events February 7 - Julius III becomes Pope. ... World map showing location of Africa A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ...

Present Day

The Chibchas are one of the most studied populations in anthropologic historiography, having numerous publications dedicated to linguistics, etnohistory, archaeology & bioanthropology. The region has numerous radiocarbon dates and an extensive Pre-Columbian cemetery.

The museums of Santafé de Bogotá, Tunja, Sogamoso, Socorro, Bucaramanga, Floridablanca and Pamplona offer permanent expositions, domestically and internationally, with many samples of jewelry making, pottery, textiles, mummies and human remains,(bones). Tunja is a city in Colombia. ... Socorro is a Spanish word that means aid, by providing help or relief. ... Bucaramanga is the capital of the department of Santander, Colombia. ... Floridablanca is a town in the Philippines. ... Pamplona (Basque: Irunea / Iruñea) is the capital city of Navarre, Spain. ...

It can be said that the image of the Pre-Hispanic development of Colombia is associated mostly with the Chibchas.

At present the Chibchas have ceased to form autonomous tribes and are practically extinct. Some of their descendants currently live near the Magdalena river, close to Bogotá, the (Capital of Colombia). Bogota is also a town in New Jersey, see Bogota, New Jersey. ...

Los chibchas disfrutaban de cierto grado de civilización, pero no contaban con escritura jeroglífica. Sin embargo se conocen aspectos fundamentales de su religiosidad. Bochica era la figura básica, el gran maestro y civilizador. Entre los rivales de Bochica, que era un dios solar, se encontraban tanto Chía, es decir, la Luna (con quien algunos lo consideraban casado), Chibchachum y otros. Para muchos estudiosos Chimininagua era el dios supremo de los chibchas.