Chiefdoms in Central America were small groups who developed unique artforms in order to distinguish themselves and compete with one another.
c. 500 B.C.E.–1600 C.E.
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Muisca Raft
The Muisca would honor a new leader by covering his body in gold dust and then submerging him, his raft, and other offerings into the sacred lake.
Ancient Colombian goldmaking
For centuries Europeans were dazzled by the idea of a lost city of gold in South America… but did it really exist?
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