National Archeological Park of Tierradentro

The National Archaeological Park of Tierradentro is located in the south-western of Colombia in Andean's central cordillera, in the municipality of Inzá, department of Cauca. Four areas, dispersed over a few square kilometres, make up the archaeological park: Alto de San Andrés, Alto de Segovia, Alto del Duende, El Tablón and as a site of importance but outside the park boundary the Alto del Aguacate. The park contains all known monumental shaft and chamber tombs of Tierradentro culture, the largest and most elaborate tombs of their kind.

Several monumental statues of human figures can be seen in the park, which also contains many hypogea dating from the 6th to the 10th century. These huge underground tombs (some burial chambers are up to 12 m wide) are decorated with motifs that reproduce the internal decor of homes of the period. They reveal the social complexity and cultural wealth of a pre-Hispanic society in the northern Andes.

The main attributes of Tierradentro hypogea are the architectural features of the tombs, including the stairs and chambers, and the internal decoration including carvings and mural paintings. Those features have retained their original characteristics. The sites were abandoned before the 13Th century AD and modern occupation gradually uncovered the tombs, many of which were opened and looted during the 18th and 19th centuries. The architecture of the tombs has been preserved in most cases and interventions have been limited to those required for protecting the carvings or paintings from further natural deterioration or in few cases for reconstruction of structural columns and stairs.

The National Archaeological Park of Tierradentro was created in 1945 and declared a National Monument and National Archaeological Park in 1993. The Colombian Constitution established that the properties of the archaeological heritage (including National Archaeological Parks) are a national and inalienable property.

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