PARQUE ARQUEOLÓGICO DE SAN AGUSTÍN

The Archaeological Park of San Agustin was created in 1935, and sixty years later (1995) it was classified by Unesco as Historical and Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This is also the case of the other two archaeological parks in the area: Alto de las Piedras and Alto de los Ídolos. It is a well-maintained site, very pleasant to walk through, with clear paths, alternating parts in the shade of the forest and through large open meadows, where the statues are installed. At the entrance to the park is the Luis Duque Gomez Archaeological Museum, named after a prestigious archaeologist who worked for a long time at the site of San Agustin. It is advisable to visit the museum (entrance included in the passport), before exploring the park, rather than afterwards, especially since there are very few explanations in front of the sculptures themselves. There is interesting information, in Spanish and English, about the life and funeral rites of the Agustinian civilizations, as well as the history of the discovery of the site in 1860.

The archaeological park includes several sites divided into four main areas: a collection of statues scattered in a small forest(bosque de las Estatuas), four clearings with tombs guarded by imposing stone guardians(mesitas A, B, C and D), a stream carved with enigmatic shapes(Fuente de Lavapatas) and an esplanade highlighting the oldest remains of the site(alto de Lavapatas). It takes about 3 or 4 hours to visit. Try to get there as soon as it opens so you can have the site to yourself. Bring comfortable shoes, sunscreen and hydration. There is a café at the entrance where you can refresh yourself after the visit.

Las Mesitas. They correspond to ancient dwelling places from which large artificial plazas(mesitas) were cleared for the construction of houses and funeral spaces.

Mesita A. Near the easternmost mound, a statue of expressionist style surprises by the finish of the sculptural work and the realism that emerges from it.

Mesita B. Here we find the statue known as El Obispo ("The Bishop"), which is over 4 meters high. The temple faces east and is guarded by a huge triangular head and an eagle holding a snake in its beak. On the southernmost mound, abstract figures flank the entrance to a dolmen-like tunnel, at the bottom of which is a figure of a woman carrying a child.

Mesita C. A series of statues of a remarkable finish. Observe the one of the shaman with his headdress and his feline whiskers, and the statue of the Siamese monkeys.

Mesita D. Tombs covered with flat stones and guarded by small statuettes have been found here.

Fuente de Lavapatas. You will reach this site by walking along a small sloping path in the woods. The Lavapatas fountain (literally "fountain for washing feet") is home to perhaps the most original and impressive sculptural work in the area. The water makes its way through a sinuous labyrinth carved in the rock. Among the small pools, tiny waterfalls and canals are sculptures of human faces, lizards, salamanders, toads, snakes and turtles, with anthropomorphic figures. The work of man is here in harmony with the natural wear of the rocks. It is probable that the site was the place of religious ceremonies and ritual ablutions.

Alto de Lavapatas. From here you will have a unique view of the entire San Agustin Valley. It is also on the heights of these hills that the oldest remains of the region (2600-1960 BC) are grouped. There are tombs, including one that seemed to be reserved for children. It is guarded, very closely, by a sculpture with two heads that takes up the myth of El Doble Yo ("the double personality"). This myth could be attached to primitive beliefs, probably inherited from certain dances practiced by the Indian tribes of America. During the celebration of the rites, men used to dress in animal skins to attract the virtues and natural power attributed to each animal. The head of the beast was superimposed on that of the warrior, as in the two-headed statues of El Doble Yo.

Bosque de las Estatuas ("Forest of statues"). About thirty sculptures of very different origins found in places that are not very accessible have been grouped together here, along a small winding path in the woods. It is like being in a fairy-tale jungle inhabited by all sorts of strange creatures, half-man, half-beast. These statues give a good idea of the sculptural heritage of the San Agustin region. They can be classified in four different styles, according to the Reichel-Dolmatoff classification defined in 1972: the naturalistic style, which preserves the essential characteristics of the sculpted beings (statues 6, 10, 11, 13, and 27), the archaic style, with a rather primitive workmanship (statues 12, 14, 16, 19, 22, 23, and 34), the expressionist style, whose three-dimensional forms show a high level of elaboration (statues 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 14, 17, 24, 25, 26, and 32), and the abstract style, which includes imaginary figures (statues 2, 7, and 29).