600-Year-Old Muisca Jars Recovered in Colombia

BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA—Live Science reports that archaeologist Francisco Correa and his colleagues discovered eight ceramic jars containing metal figurines and emeralds in a temple at a Muisca site in central Colombia during an investigation ahead of a road construction project. Many of the Muisca died when the Spanish conquered the region between 1537 and 1540. The jars, known as ofrendatarios, are estimated to be 600 years old. The figurines resemble snakes, other animals, and people wearing headdresses and carrying staffs and weapons. Correa said he thinks the temple may have been dedicated to a cult of the ancestors, or worship of gods associated with the moon and the sun. Ofrendatarios containing metal figurines and emeralds are often found at Muisca sites, he added. To read more about prehispanic Colombian metallurgy, go to "The Pink Standard."