Muiscas

Who are them?

One of the great cultures of the pre-Columbian era. The muiscas existed from 400 a.d till 1800 a.d.

Geographic Ubication

The Muisca civilization occupied around 18,000 square miles in Colombia´s Eastern Range before the Spanish conquest. 

The Muiscas territory covered basins and Bogota River valleys  to Ten; from Black River to Quetame, from Guavio to Gachala, from Garagoa to Somondoco, from Soata Chicamocha and Suarez River to Velez.    

Economy:

Agriculture:

The principal base of the Muisca economy was the agriculture, they principally cultivated corn wich transformed in the base of their alimentation. They also planted cotton, cassava, sweet potato, pumpkin, hibia, celeriac, pineapple, avocado, coca, snuff, etc...

               COTTON                                          CORN                                              CASSAVA

               

      SWEET POTATO                                PUMPKIN                           CELERIAC

           


       PINEAPPLE                        AVOCADO                                          COCA
         



              SNUFF

HUNT AND FISHING:

The muiscas gathered and eated meat of curi, rabbit, deer, fish and birds. The deer was consumed only by the aristocracy.


COMERCY:

They had frecuent markets publics in places importants like Bacata, Zipaquira, Tunja and Turmeque which had to be performed evrey 4 days.

This let them advance. They they divided and saved money, they saved a part for time of crisis an other part was to make exchanges with other tribes and the last part was for paying taxes.

SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

The Muisca society was based on a group of families related by blood ties. Its base of social organization was the clan or extended family, characterized by outcrossing.

Polygamous marriages were allowed but only the nobilty practiced it. The residence was patriarchal.

Several clans formed a tribe and its members worked sowings of the Chieftain, who collected the taxes and gave them to Zipa or Zaque, heads of these confederations formed by several tribes.

Confederacy chiefs, tribal chiefs and priests were a higher class.

RELIGION:

Their main gods were Chiminichagua, creative principle or supreme force, Xue, the sun, Chia, the moon, Bachue the mother of humanity and godddess of legumes, Cuchaviva rainbow, Chichacun, General god, Chaquen, god of the runners and Bochica, civilizing hero. 

The lagoons were considered sacred places.