Archaeological Parks: Alto de los Ídolos and Alto de las Piedras

The Alto de los Ídolos Archaeological Park, declared by UNESCO a World Heritage, and the Alto de las Piedras Park are located on the left margin of the Magdalena River, just 30 kilometers in a straight line from San Agustín, in the Department of Huila.

After San Agustín, these two parks, located in the midst of leafy flora, constitute the second most important archaeological site in the area, with the remains of a religious and cultural center.

Discovery of the Alto de los Ídolos Archaeological Park

The tallest statue in the park is 7 meters high.

Archaeologist Konrad Preuss found 11 statues at the beginning of the twentieth century. Most of them were simply placed on the ground’s surface, a fact that led to think that informal diggers had placed them like that.

The main tomb was also found there, with its walls decorated in several colors.

Alto de los Ídolos Archaeological Park

The best-preserved funerary complexes of the Agustinian culture are found at Alto de los Ídolos. The park stands out for its very particular characteristics in the representation of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic sculptures, their dimensions, the presence of sarcophagi and ceremonial baths made from stone, and the paintings of both the statues and the sepulcher and temple walls. The tallest figure in the park measures seven meters.

Alto de las Piedras Arcaeological Park

On a small hill ten kilometers away from the Alto de los Ídolos, is another archaeological park: Alto de los Piedras. The four sculptures that were found there preserve their original colors, just as the tombs do.

The figure of a human with enormous canine teeth stands out among them. A representation of a character with human and animal features rests on his head.

Funerary Customs of the Alto de los Ídolos and Altode las Piedras Archaeological Parks

The two parks preserve examples of the various funerary customs and burials of the Agustinian cultures:

• plain tombs,
• shaft tombs with lateral chambers in several shapes: horizontal, slab-covered, decorated with red, black, and yellow paint, complemented by a monolithic sarcophagus.

The position of the body varies from one tomb to another: standing, lying on its back, or in a fetal posture. Vestiges of collective burials have also been found.

Additional information: ICANH Alto de los Ídolos and Altode las Piedras Archaeological Parks