.JPG) Cojines del Zaque in 2015 | |
  Location within Colombia | |
| Location | Tunja,Boyacá |
|---|---|
| Region | Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Colombia |
| Coordinates | 5°32′17.37″N73°22′9.88″W / 5.5381583°N 73.3694111°W /5.5381583; -73.3694111 |
| Altitude | 2,834 m (9,298 ft)[1] |
| Type | Ritual site |
| Part of | Historical Park Cojines del Zaque Muisca sites |
| Diameter | 1.1 metres (3.6 ft) |
| History | |
| Material | Sandstone |
| Abandoned | Spanish conquest |
| Periods | Late Muisca |
| Cultures | Muisca |
| Satellite of | Hunza |
| Site notes | |
| Public access | Yes |
TheCojines del Zaque (English: "Cushions of theZaque") is an archeological site of theMuisca located in the city ofTunja,Boyacá, which in the time of theMuisca Confederation was called Hunza. Thecojines are two round stones used in thereligion of the Muisca to worship Sun godSué and his wife; Moon goddessChía. When the Spanishconquistadores arrived, they called themCojines del Diablo.
During the time before theSpanish conquest of the Muisca, the central highlands of the ColombianAndes (Altiplano Cundiboyacense) were populated by the Muisca. This advanced civilization had its own religion and rituals, centred around the most important deities Sué and Chía. The northern territories were ruled by theiraca ofSugamuxi, thetundama ofTundama and thezaque based in Hunza.
The Cojines are two circular stones made of sandstone located at the base of the San Lázaro hill in Tunja. The northernmostCojín measures 1.1 metres (3.6 ft) in diameter and the southern pillow 1 metre (3.3 ft). The stones are oriented concerning the solar ecliptic and consist of an inclined part in the west and a flat part in the east. The rocks were used by thezaque to kneel and pray to Sué at sunrise.[2]
The Cojines were studied as of 1847 and in 1928 the city of Tunja made the stones into anarcheological site.[3]
Every morning thezaque would go in a procession from his grandbohío in Hunza to the Cojines. Apart from the daily rituals, also withsowing and harvests, rituals were performed on theCojines del Zaque.[4]
TheMuisca calendar defined the months of sowing and harvests and those periods would fall on theGregorian calendar in the months of March and September respectively. To increase the fertility of the lands the Muisca had theiragriculture, they performed festivities to the gods around the Cojines del Zaque. During these festivals, the Muisca danced in groups, holding hands and sang to themusic of flutes,ocarinas and other instruments. They danced on the rhythm of drums. During these rituals the Muisca got drunk by drinking their typicalchicha.[5]
Sometimes twelve twelve-year-old boys;moxas, captured from other indigenous peoples in the region would be sacrificed to the gods at the site of the Cojines del Zaque. The heads of the boys would be placed on the cojines and the children decapitated draining the Cojines in blood. The Muisca left their bodies lying there as food for Sué. The bodies would be retrieved after a few days.[6]
