The history of human habitation in the Andean region of South America stretches from 15,000BC to the present day. The habitation of the region has been challenged by its unique geography and climate, leading to the development of unique cultural and societal organization.
Colombia is named after Christopher Columbus, even though he never set foot on the soil. It was Alonso de Ojeda, one of Columbus' companions on his 2nd voyage, who was the 1st European to set foot on the land in 1499. He briefly explored the Sierra Nevada of St. Martha and was astonished by the wealth of the local people. Their gold and their stories about fabulous treasures inland gave birth to the myth of "El Dorado," a mysterious kingdom abundant in gold. In its most extreme interpretation, "El Dorado was believed to be a land of gold mountains littered with emeralds and the people of the land threw gold offerings into its sacred waters. From the moment the Europeans arrived in 1509, their obsession with EL Dorado became the principal force driving them into the interior. The population at that time numbered between 1.5 and 2 million spread out across the Andean mountains.
Attracted by the presumed riches of the land, the shores became the target of numerous expeditions, and several short-lived settlements were founded along the coast. In 1525 the first stones of St Martha were laid and in 1533 Cartagena was found and soon became the principal center of trade.
Colombia is considered the only overland gateway to South America and the route pioneered by the first ancient settlers, who migrated from other lands. The territory of the Andean mountains that form the core of the land, was the location of the most significant earliest settlements.
Archaeological evidence suggests that the ancient Colombian Andes had well-established hunter-gatherer cultures, with the earliest human habitants concentrated along the Caribbean coast and the Andean mountains.
The Cave system of 'El Abra' site, located just North of Bogota, is considered among the very first human settlements in the Americas. In 1960 ancient petro-glyphs and mastodon bones were uncovered and carbon dated around 11,500BC.
In 3,000BC, two civilizations lived in the adjacent River Valleys of the Magdalena and the Cauca. Divided by impossible-to-cross peaks, the Rivers were the highways, and near St. Agustin lie the headwaters of both rivers. Both civilizations met at this point to trade, to worship and to bury their dead. 500 statues (the largest 7m high) are found scattered over a wide area surrounding St. Agustin. Many of them are anthropomorphic figures, some realistic, others resembling masked monsters. There are also sculptures depicting sacred animals such as the condor, jaguar, and frog. A great deal of pottery was also uncovered around the area. They did not have a written language and the people disappeared many centuries before the European arrival, but their mystical legacy is one of the most important archaeological sites on the continent.
After St. Agustin, Tierra-Adentro (Under-the-ground) is another remarkable and awe-inspiring site. While St. Agustin is noted for its statuary, Tierra-Adentro is noted for its elaborate underground tombs. So far, 100 of this unusual funeral temples have been unearthed surrounded by the Andean mountain scenery. Their art reveals a high degree of skill in gold and pottery.
Most of the ancient population evolved from 3 main streams: -Quimbayas, who inhabited the Western slopes of the Central Cordillera; -Chibchas, who were skilled in farming, mining, and metal work; -Caribes, a type of warlike people who ultimately migrated to Eastern South America and the Caribbean islands.
The tribal cultures that still continue to thrive today are:
-Ar'Huaco, with a population of 27,000, concentrate in Northern Colombia. They believe the Sierra Nevada of St. Martha is the heart of the world and that the planet's well being depends on it.
-Awa, with a population of 32,000, inhabits the forests of Northern Ecuador and Souther Colombia. Their habitat is considered the most bio-diverse places on the planet. Traditionally hunter-gatherers, today they also farm livestock and grow a broad variety of vegetables.
-Kogi, with a population of 20,000, still live in much the same way their ancestors did (Tairona). They live in stone and thatch huts, worshiping 'Mother Nature'(Aluna) and viewing the Earth as a living being and humanity as its children. They have lived in the Sierra Nevada of St Martha since the pre-European era.
-Muisca, number approximately 10,000 now. As a civilization they occupied around 18,000 sq mi in Colombia's Eastern Range before the European arrival. They remain as an active defenders of the region's natural resources as well as the rights of its Andean communities.
-Nukak, with a population of 500 nomadic hunter-gatherers from the fringe of the Amazon basin, this tribe became famous as an "un-contacted people" discovered in the early '80s. They are expert hunters using blowguns and darts coated with a poison (curare manyi) made from various plants. Endangered by disease and other political encounters, they are now a focus of indigenous rights campaigns by the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia.
-Wayuu, the largest tribe with a population of around 450,000. Nearly a third of them are based in Northern Colombia, the rest live in North West Venezuela. Inhabiting in the arid the Guajira Peninsula, the matriarchal Wayuu were among the few tribes never successfully subjugated by the European settlers, even though the Europeans tried harder, but they never won the cause. Their language is related to the Arawak family of language predominant in the Caribbean, and remains in regular usage today.
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