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TheHerrera Period is a phase in thehistory of Colombia. It is part of theAndean preceramic andceramic, time equivalent of theNorth Americanpre-Columbianformative andclassic stages and age dated by variousarchaeologists.[1] The Herrera Period predates the age of theMuisca, who inhabited theAltiplano Cundiboyacense before theSpanish conquest of the Muisca and postdates theprehistory of the region inColombia. The Herrera Period is usually defined as ranging from 800 BCE to 800 CE,[2] although some scholars date it as early as 1500 BCE.[3]
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 thescholarsAna María Groot,Gonzalo Correal Urrego,Thomas van der Hammen,Carl Henrik Langebaek Rueda,Sylvia M. Broadbent, andMarianne Cardale de Schrimpff.
The Herrera Period is named afterLake 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 ancientLake Humboldt, aPleistocene lake that existed on theBogotá savanna. The lake with an approximate surface area of 280 hectares (30,000,000 sq ft) is situated at an altitude of 2,550 metres (8,370 ft) within the boundaries of theCundinamarcamunicipalityMosquera, close toMadrid andBojacá.[4] The site of Lake Herrera (Laguna de la Herrera) is close to the archaeological site ofAguazuque.[5]
The region of the Herrera Period and laterMuisca Confederation, the Altiplano Cundiboyacense; high plateau of the central ColombianAndes has been inhabited since 12,400 yearsBP. The earliest evidence for inhabitation (lithic tools) are found inEl Abra andTequendama.[6] This lithic period is roughly defined as from 12,400 to 1000 BCE.[7] Later sites areAguazuque andChecua.
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 theAndean civilizations. Early evidence of inhabitation has been found inZipacón and is dated at 3270 BCE.[8] From the Herrera Period ceramic has been found.[9] The oldest ceramic evidence found dates to 2500 BP (500 BCE), except for one piece found nearTocarema and dated at 2750 BP.[10]
The people from the Herrera Period performed agriculture, as evidenced in among others theThomas van der Hammen Reserve, named afterDutchgeologist andbotanistThomas van der Hammen.[11]
The Late Herrera Period coincides with theNahuange Period (200–900) of theTairona.[12]
Archaeological evidence of the Herrera Period has been found in numerous places on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, among others inSopó,[13]Soacha,[14][15]Usme,[16]Iza,Gámeza,[17]Facatativá (Piedras del Tunjo Archaeological Park),Moniquirá (El Infiernito),Chía,[18]Chita,Chiscas,Soatá,Jericó,Sativasur,Covarachía,Sativanorte andEl Cocuy.[19]
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.[20][21] At the site the remains of 2200 individual people, 274 completeceramic pots, stone tools, seeds ofcotton,maize,beans andcuruba, 634 fragmented and intactspindles and 100tunjos not used for offerings have been found in Soacha.[21]
| Timeline of inhabitation of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Colombia | |
 |   .png) |
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 | [1][22] |
| Late Herrera | 0 | 700 | ||
| Early Muisca | 700 | 1100 | ||
| Late Muisca | 1100 | 1600 | ||
| Kruschek, 2003 | Herrera | 800 BCE | 800 | [1][23] |
| Early Muisca | 800 | 1200 | ||
| Late Muisca | 1200 | 1600 | ||
| Boada, 2003 | Herrera | 300 BCE | 200 | [1] |
| Early Muisca | 200 | 1000 | ||
| Late Muisca | 1000 | 1600 | ||
| Cárdenas & Kleef, 1996 | Herrera | 1500 BCE | 800 | [24] |
| Muisca | 800 | 1600 | ||
| Peña, 1991 | Early Herrera | 14th century BCE | 4th century BCE | [1] |
| Middle Herrera | 4th century BCE | 1st century CE | ||
| Late Herrera | 6th century CE | 10th century CE | ||
| Early Muisca | ||||
| Late Muisca | ||||
| Langebaek, 1986 | Herrera | [1] | ||
| Muisca | ||||
| Modern | ||||
| Schrimpff, 1981 | Herrera | 400 BCE | 200 | [1] |
| Muisca | 1400 | 1500 | ||
| Author | Name | Start age | End age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argüello, 2004 | Herrera | 800 BCE | 800 | [1] |
| Pubenza | 800 | 1000 | ||
| Late Period | 1000 | 1550 | ||
| Modern | >1550 | |||
| Schrimpff, 1976 | Period I | 750 | 1200 | [1] |
| Period II | 1200 | 1550 | ||
| Author | Name | Start age | End age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Langebaek, 2001 | Herrera | 400 BCE | 700 | [1] |
| Late Herrera | 700 | 1000 | ||
| Early Muisca | 1000 | 1200 | ||
| Late Muisca | 1200 | 1600 | ||
| Modern | >1600 | |||
| Boada, 2007 | Late Herrera | 700 | 1000 | [1] |
| Early Muisca | 1000 | 1300 | ||
| Late Muisca | 1300 | 1600 | ||
