Earth Ancients

The mysterious ‘Sculptor People’Surprisingly little is known about the people who created these burial mounds, who are alternatively called the Cultura del Alto Magdalena (Upper Magdalena Culture) or the Pueblo Escultor (Sculptor People). “The big mystery is why these sculptors disappeared [in the ninth century],” explains archaeologist Hernán Ordoñez, who grew up in San Agustín. “Did something happen to the climate? Were there volcanic eruptions? Was it contact—or conflict—with other pre-Hispanic cultures? So far, it’s not clear.”What we do know is that the megalithic sculptures were artistic manifestations “made with the intention of almost ideological dominance,” says Ordoñez. They were meant to transcend life—perhaps acting as protectors of the living—and include iconographic features making them resemble reptiles, felines, monkeys, and other creatures native to the area. Most of the figures were carved in sitting positions and included embedded messages offering clues about ancient shamanic practices.The