The Herrera Period is a phase in the history of Colombia. It is part of the Andean preceramic and ceramic, time equivalent of the North American pre-Columbian formative and classic stages and age dated by various archaeologists. Chronology of pre-Columbian periods: Herrera and Muisca The Herrera Period predates the age of the Muisca, who inhabited the Altiplano Cundiboyacense before the Spanish conquest of the Muisca and postdates the prehistory of the region in Colombia. The Herrera Period is usually defined as ranging from 800 BCE to 800 CE,Kruschek, 2003 although some scholars date it as early as 1500 BCE.Langebaek, 1995, Ch. 4, p. 70

Ample evidence of the Herrera Period has been uncovered on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense. The main archaeologists contributing to the present knowledge about the Herrera Period are the scholars Ana María Groot, Gonzalo Correal Urrego, Thomas van der Hammen, Carl Henrik Langebaek Rueda, Sylvia M. Broadbent, and Marianne Cardale de Schrimpff.

Etymology The Herrera Period is named after Lake Herrera (Laguna de la Herrera) where archaeologist Silvia Broadbent performed the first excavations on the Herrera Period in 1971. Lake Herrera is one of the many remnants of the ancient Lake Humboldt, a Pleistocene lake that existed on the Bogotá savanna. The lake with an approximate surface area of is situated at an altitude of within the boundaries of the Cundinamarca municipality Mosquera, close to Madrid and Bojacá. Herrera Lake The site of Lake Herrera (Laguna de la Herrera) is close to the archaeological site of Aguazuque.Correal Urrego, 1990, p. 87

Background The region of the Herrera Period and later Muisca Confederation, the Altiplano Cundiboyacense; high plateau of the central Colombian Andes has been inhabited since 12,400 years BP. The earliest evidence for inhabitation (lithic tools) are found in El Abra and Tequendama.Correal Urrego, 1990, p. 29 This lithic period is roughly defined as from 12,400 to 1000 BCE. Lithic Period in Engativá Later sites are Aguazuque and Checua.

Agriculture started around 5000 years before present which led to the development of more complex societies, of which the Herrera Period is one of many in the Andean civilizations. Early evidence of inhabitation has been found in Zipacón and is dated at 3270 BCE.Nieto Escalante et al., 2010, p. 96 From the Herrera Period ceramic has been found. Herrera Period evidence in Boyacá The oldest ceramic evidence found dates to 2500 BP (500 BCE), except for one piece found near Tocarema and dated at 2750 BP.Argüello García, 2015, p. 56

The people from the Herrera Period performed agriculture, as evidenced in among others the Thomas van der Hammen Reserve, named after Dutch geologist and botanist Thomas van der Hammen. Herrera Period agriculture at the Thomas van der Hammen Reserve

The Late Herrera Period coincides with the Nahuange Period (200–900) of the Tairona. Tairona at the Museo del Oro, Bogotá

Archaeological sites Archaeological evidence of the Herrera Period has been found in numerous places on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, among others in Sopó, Herrera Period evidence in Sopó Soacha, Herrera Period evidence in Soacha – El Espectador Largest Herrera Period village in Soacha Usme, Herrera Period evidence in Usme – El Tiempo Iza, Gámeza, Herrera Period evidence in Iza and Gámeza Facatativá (Piedras del Tunjo Archaeological Park), Moniquirá (El Infiernito), Chía,Cardale Schrimpff, 1985, p. 104 Chita, Chiscas, Soatá, Jericó, Sativasur, Covarachía, Sativanorte and El Cocuy.Cárdenas & Kleef in Reyes Zambrano, 1995, Ch. 2.1.3

The site in Soacha is one of the most important finds from the Herrera Period, dating from 400 BCE onwards, into the age of the Muisca.Adriaan Alsema, Archaeologists uncover remains of pre-Columbian village in central Colombia. November 1, 2014 Dating of the Soacha Herrera Period site At the site the remains of 2200 individual people, 274 complete ceramic pots, stone tools, seeds of cotton, maize, beans and curuba, 634 fragmented and intact spindles and 100 tunjos not used for offerings have been found in Soacha.

Timeline

Classifications Over the years and based on new findings, various authors have defined periods of Herrera and Muisca. Regional variations also exist, listed below.

Author Name Start age End age Notes Romano, 2003 Early Herrera 900 BCE 0 Argüello García, 2015, p. 38 Late Herrera 0 700 Early Muisca 700 1100 Late Muisca 1100 1600 Kruschek, 2003 Herrera 800 BCE 800 Herrera Period – Universidad Nacional de Colombia Early Muisca 800 1200 Late Muisca 1200 1600 Boada, 2003 Herrera 300 BCE 200 Early Muisca 200 1000 Late Muisca 1000 1600 Cárdenas & Kleef, 1996 Herrera 1500 BCE 800 El páramo: ecosistema de alta montaña, Chapter 2.1.3 – Banco de la República Muisca 800 1600 Peña, 1991 Early Herrera 14th century BCE 4th century BCE Middle Herrera 4th century BCE 1st century CE Late Herrera 6th century CE 10th century CE Early Muisca Late Muisca Langebaek, 1986 Herrera Muisca Modern Schrimpff, 1981 Herrera 400 BCE 200 Muisca 1400 1500

Regional variations

Western slopes of the Eastern Ranges Author Name Start age End age Notes Argüello, 2004 Herrera 800 BCE 800 Pubenza 800 1000 Late Period 1000 1550 Modern >1550 Schrimpff, 1976 Period I 750 1200 Period II 1200 1550

Boyacá Author Name Start age End age Notes Langebaek, 2001 Herrera 400 BCE 700 Late Herrera 700 1000 Early Muisca 1000 1200 Late Muisca 1200 1600 Modern >1600 Boada, 2007 Late Herrera 700 1000 Early Muisca 1000 1300 Late Muisca 1300 1600

See also Muisca Confederation Aguazuque, Lake Herrera, Tequendama

References

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Further reading

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