Quimbaya artifacts

Quimbaya artifacts [1]

Background

The Quimbaya artifacts can be considered the most valuable and controversial pre-Colombian archaeological discovery. According to archaeologists, the artifacts measure about 2 to 5 inches tall and represent a variety of birds, insects, lizards, and other animals. The gold assemblage dates to around 410 to 590 CE. due to the emergence of gold work appearing in the Quimbaya civilization . The gold is seen as sacred metal work, and is believed to represent the passing onto the afterlife. The Quimbaya populations occupied parts of Colombia, specifically Eje Cafetero and Valle del Cauca, as early as 100BCE. The Quimbaya treasures are most commonly known due to their resemblance to aircrafts. Many theorize that their origin may be of extra-terrestrials. The assemblage is now on display at the Museo de América (Museum of the Americas) in Madrid.

Discovery

The Quimbaya gold figurines were found in two tombs on the La Soledad site in the Cauca river valley of Colombia. During the 16th century, Spanish raiders were known to ransack tombs and other areas that were notorious for their gold, especially the river valleys. The area was looted for gold and other valuable resources, so many contextual artifacts that may have lied with the treasures may never be found. According to reports, there was supposedly 200 gold figurines found when the tombs were looted, but only 123 artifacts were accounted for when ownership was given to Carlos Holguín, President of the Republic, in 1891. Due to the looting of the tombs, the context behind the artifacts is very vague. Most of the assemblage consists of zoomorphic gold pendants, but a part of the treasures found posses anthropomorphic characteristics, depicting human faces. Some gold vessels depict plants or fruit as well.

Museo de América [2]

Context

The Quimbaya civilization was a culture in pre-Colombia during the 1st century BCE. The peak of their civilization occurred during the 4th and 7th centuries CE, this period is known as The Quimbaya Classic. The Quimbayans were great farmers that cultivated corn and avocados, as well as hunted and fished for food subsistence. The Quimbaya were known for hunting deer and rabbits, along with armadillos, foxes, and opossums. They were also notorious for mining, specifically gold, and developed incredible metal working techniques that gave their art pieces a fine and polished finish . They were often melting gold with copper to create art pieces that had beauty and durability. The civilization is also known to perform ritualistic cannibalism. Sometimes their victims were war enemies, whose heads ended up on sticks, other times it was for special events and rituals. The Quimbaya civilization took burial practices very seriously. They were known for extravagant burial tombs, in which they would leave loads of riches. This is where the Quimbaya artifacts can be found. The Quimbaya civilization has no modern tribes today, as the civilization seemed to diminish around the 18th century. Theories for the fall of the civilization revolve around a cultural development in which tribes were broken off and separated by trades, such as pottery, metallurgy, and religion. Some even suggest that ancient aliens had a lot of influence on the success and disappearance of the civilization. The most logical reason would be the invasion of Spanish colonization.

Pseudoarchaeological Narrative

While archaeologists have come to a common understanding that the Quimbaya artifacts represent a variety of zoomorphic and anthropomorphic figures, many believe that the treasures present a completely different story to the Quimbaya civilization. Critics claim that the figurines depict modern aircrafts and possess aerodynamic characteristics such as wings, rudders, stabilizers, and tail fins. Many theories behind the mysterious assemblage suggest that the artifacts are in replica of otherworldly beings and their spacecrafts. Some hypotheses go as far to claim that the assemblage was of Atlantian influence due to the use of copper in the Quimbaya metallurgic workmanship.

Ancient Astronauts

Those who believe the pseudoscientific backstory are led to believe that the assemblage was made in honor of ancient aliens.The only explanation to some for the similar resemblance to airplanes is the answer of extraterrestrial interference. The Quimbaya civilization is a mystery in history, no one is quite sure of the exact establishment or the reason for their end. Their magnificent metallurgy is also a mystery due to the Quimbayans starting out very simple and lacking development. It is said that they rapidly went from living in primitive shacks and barely able to use bronze tools, and then they became gold working masters out of nowhere. Due to the nature of the pendants, when worn in a necklace fashion the figurines depict space crafts taking off. Some ancient astronaut believers theorize that the Quimbaya people were mesmerized and amazed by the extraterrestrial's aerodynamic technology, so they created relics to portray the technology and to bring luck among their people. Pseudoscientists fail to examine the anthropomorphic figures that depict humans, but choose to only focus on the zoomorphic pendants that resemble an aerodynamic symbol. To many, these artifacts serve as cold hard proof of alien existence and interaction with humans on earth.

Peter Belting and Conrad Lubbers with their radio-controlled scale model [3]

Belting and Lubber's model

In 1994, two German men, Peter Belting and Conrad Lubbers, created a radio-controlled scale model of the Quimbaya artifacts in order to solve the debate. The models lacked some aspects of the original artifacts, but still showed capable of flying when landing equipment and a motor were implemented. The two men’s argument is that, when the size is increased but dimensions are kept the exact same, the small figures are capable of flight, which is impressive that the Quimbaya civilization would have recognized and understood aerodynamic technology to this extent.

Modern Machinery

In addition to depicting aircrafts, the Quimbaya artifacts are also said to represent modern day machinery. Some types of technology that is referenced is trenching and digging machinery.

Turtle that seems to depict a modern day trenching machine [4]

Archaeological Record

Opposed to the mainstream, popular belief of the Quimbaya artifacts depicting alien aircrafts, the archaeological evidence suggest no event could have ever occurred.