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Cauca culture

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Middle Cauca culture male figure, Caldas complex, black on red resist painted ceramic, 10.75" high, LACMA

Cauca culture (800–1200 CE) is a pre-Columbian culture from the Valle del Cauca in Colombia, named for the Cauca River. Middle Cauca culture dates from the 9 to 10th centuries CE.[1]

Their territory was near the present day city of Popayán, in the Calima River Valley.

Society

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Archaeologists surmise that Cauca culture was organized into several related chiefdoms that traded and fought with each other.[1] They farmed and made ceramics and goldwork.

Artwork

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Their art often featured avian imagery. Cauca culture art shared some similarities to Yotoco culture art.[1] They are known for ceramic slab figurines, representing humans–both female and male–with dramatically angular features.[2]

Goldwork

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Cauca goldsmiths hammered and cast gold to create a range of figures and ornaments, including diadems and bracelets.[1] They created caricuri noserings from gold.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d bruhns 276
  2. ^ Bruhns, 1994, p.275
  3. ^ "Southern Andes Precolumbian Cultures." Archived 2012-04-26 at the Wayback Machine Pre Columbian Cultures of the Americas. (retrieved 1 Dec 2011)

Bibliography

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  • Bruhns, Karen Olsen. Ancient South America. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1994. ISBN 978-0-521-27761-7.
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