Cauca culture (800–1200 CE) is a
pre-Columbian culture
This list of pre-Columbian cultures includes those civilizations and cultures of the Americas which flourished prior to the European colonization of the Americas.
Cultural characteristics
Many pre-Columbian civilizations established permanent o ...
from the
Valle del Cauca in
Colombia, named for the
Cauca River
The Cauca River () is a river in Colombia that lies between the Occidental and Central cordilleras. From its headwaters in southwestern Colombia near the city of Popayán, it joins the Magdalena River near Magangue in Bolivar Department, and ...
. Middle Cauca culture dates from the 9 to 10th centuries CE.
[bruhns 276]
Their territory was near the present day city of
Popayán
Popayán () is the capital of the Colombian department of Cauca. It is located in southwestern Colombia between the Western Mountain Range and Central Mountain Range. It has a population of 318,059 people, an area of 483 km2, is locate ...
, in the
Calima River Valley.
Society
Archaeologists surmise that Cauca culture was organized into several related
chiefdoms
A chiefdom is a form of hierarchical political organization in non-industrial societies usually based on kinship, and in which formal leadership is monopolized by the legitimate senior members of select families or 'houses'. These elites form a ...
that trades and fought with each other.
[ They farmed and made ]ceramics
A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...
and goldwork.
Artwork
Their art often featured avian imagery. Cauca culture art shared some similarities to Yotoco culture art.[ They are known for ceramic slab figurines, representing humans–both female and male–with dramatically angular features.
]
Goldwork
Cauca goldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Nowadays they mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, goldsmiths have also made silverware, platters, goblets, decorative and servicea ...
s hammered and cast gold to create a range of figures and ornaments, including diadem
A diadem is a type of crown, specifically an ornamental headband worn by monarchs and others as a badge of royalty.
Overview
The word derives from the Greek διάδημα ''diádēma'', "band" or "fillet", from διαδέω ''diadéō'', " ...
s and bracelets.[ They created caricuri noserings from gold."Southern Andes Precolumbian Cultures."]
''Pre Columbian Cultures of the Americas.'' (retrieved 1 Dec 2011)
See also
* Calima culture
Calima culture (200 BCE–400 CE) is a series of pre-Columbian cultures from the Valle del Cauca in Colombia.[Indigenous peoples in Colombia
Indigenous peoples of Colombia, are the ethnic groups who have inhabited Colombia since before the European colonization, in the early 16th century. According to the last census, they comprise 4.4% of the country's population, belonging to 115 ...]
* List of pre-Columbian cultures
This list of pre-Columbian cultures includes those civilizations and cultures of the Americas which flourished prior to the European colonization of the Americas.
Cultural characteristics
Many pre-Columbian civilizations established permanent o ...
References
Bibliography
* Bruhns, Karen Olsen
''Ancient South America.''
Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1994. .
External links
Cauca culture artwork
, National Museum of the American Indian
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cauca Culture
Circum-Caribbean tribes
Indigenous peoples in Colombia