Civilization muisca and the legend of “Eldorado”.
The legend of Eldorado was born in the XVI century, when the Spaniards entered in the territory of civilization muisca (chibcha). It was then that rumors that somewhere deep in the Colombian mountains, there is a whole city made of gold. Since then, the myth of Eldorado attracted the attention of scientists and treasure hunters in the mountains of South America. But recently, scientists made a very interesting suggestion.
For many years people have constantly sought the legendary treasure, but modern scientists believe they have found the origins of the myth, and “Eldorado” (Lucky) was not a place but a person. The most characteristic symbol of the myth of Eldorado is “the Raft muisca” is an outstanding example of pre-Columbian art made of gold. It was discovered in a cave near the Colombian capital of bogotá in 1856.
Golden raft belongs to the later period of culture muisca, somewhere between 1200 and 1500 years BC. Tribe muisca at that time was one of the four advanced civilizations of America (the others were the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas), and it is famous for its filigree work in gold. The raft was cast in gold now lost by the way in which for molds muisca used wax and clay.
The Golden sculpture is made of an alloy of pure gold (over 80%) with native silver and a small amount of copper alloy, and is made with the help of long lost method of casting in wax. This sculpture depicts a ritual ceremony of appointing a new zip (ruler) in lake Guatavita. The ruler is surrounded by the other chiefs, decorated with feathers, pendants, bracelets, crowns and earrings.
People are holding musical instruments, masks, jaguars and shamanic maracas. The members of the tribe, located on the edges, as scientists assume, was the rowers. Articles of gold were used only for ceremonial and decorative purposes. When the society muisca died the previous ruler, was appointed (it usually was a relative of the previous ruler).
During the ceremony of “inauguration” his body was covered with gold dust, and then this “the Golden man” became the center of the raft and carried him to the middle of the sacred lake that the new ruler had to offer gifts to the goddess Guatavita. This ancient ceremony muisca and became the source of legends about El Dorado. Golden raft can be seen today in the gold Museum in Bogota, and he could be the key to the greatest treasure that has still not managed to find.
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