Tierradentro

UNESCO World Heritage Site

National Archaeological Park of Tierradentro
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iii
Reference	743
UNESCO region	Latin America and the Caribbean
Inscription history
Inscription	1995 (19th Session)

Tierradentro is a National archeological park in the jurisdiction of the municipality of Inza, Department of Cauca, Colombia. The park is located 100 km away from the capital of the Department, Popayán.

The area is very well known for its pre-Columbian hypogea, which were found in several excavations, and are divided in many archeological places. some of them are: Alto del Aguacate (Avocado Hill), Alto de San Andrés, Alto de Segovia, Alto del Duende and El Tablón.

The typical hypogeum has an entry oriented towards the west, a spiral staircase and a main chamber, usually 5 to 8 meters below the surface, with several lesser chambers around, each one containing a corpse. The walls are painted with geometric, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic patterns in red, black and white. Some statues and remains of pottery and fabrics can be seen scarcely due to grave robbery before the hypogea were constituted as protected areas.

The pre-Columbian culture that created this funeral complex inhabited this area during the first millennium A.C. Tierradentro Archaeological park features hypogea dating from 6th to 9th centuries AD. The details in the sculptures and pictoric patterns are similar to the San Agustín culture.

The park generates significant revenue to the local economy due to the high volume of tourists, both Colombian and foreigners. These sites form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site was listed on the World Monuments Fund's 2012 World Monuments Watch list of 100 Most Endangered Sites.^[1]

References

External links

• Unesco's website on Tierradentro
• A professional introduction to Tierradentro Park

World Heritage Sites in Colombia
Historic Centre of Santa Cruz de Mompox Los Katíos National Park Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary National Archeological Park of Tierradentro Port, Fortresses and Group of Monuments, Cartagena San Agustín Archeological Park Coffee-Growers Axis

Archaeological sites in Colombia
Prehistoric-preceramic	El Abra Tibitó Tequendama
Preceramic-ceramic	Aguazuque Checua Ciudad Perdida Lake Herrera El Infiernito Malagana Monsú El morro del tulcán Puerto Hormiga San Agustín Tierradentro

Treasures of Colombia
Archaeological sites · Colombia magia salvaje · National monuments · National parks · World Heritage sites
Heritage of humanity Bolívar Cartagena Mompox
National heritage Antioquia Puente de Occidente Atlántico Complejo Cultural de la Antigua Aduana Boyacá Estación de Chiquinquirá Tunja Vargas Swamp Lancers Villa de Leyva Caldas Palacio de la Gobernación de Caldas Salamina Cauca Popayán Tierradentro Cundinamarca Bolívar Square Casa de Moneda de Colombia Estación de la Sabana Museo del Oro Museo Nacional San Francisco Church San Francisco Palace Santa Clara Church and Museum Santamaría Bullring Teatro Colón Huila San Agustín Quindío National Coffee Park Santander San Juan de Girón Valle del Cauca San Francisco Church
Architectural, artistic and archaeological treasures Antioquia Botero Collection Haciendas cafeteras Boyacá Ráquira Caldas Haciendas cafeteras Manizales Cathedral Cundinamarca Haciendas cafeteras Monserrate Sanctuary Quinta de Bolívar Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá Magdalena Ciudad Perdida Haciendas cafeteras Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino Nariño Las Lajas Sanctuary Norte de Santander Haciendas cafeteras Quindío Haciendas cafeteras Risaralda Haciendas cafeteras Santander Barichara Haciendas cafeteras Tolima Haciendas cafeteras Valle del Cauca La Ermita Church Hacienda El Paraíso Haciendas cafeteras
National natural parks and treasures Amazonas Amacayacu Amazon River Angostura del Caquetá Araracuara Canyon La Chorrera Putumayo River Raudal de Jirijirimo Antioquia Los Katíos Piedra del Peñol Arauca Sierra Nevada del Cocuy Bolívar Rosario Islands Boyacá Lake Iguaque Páramo de Ocetá Sierra Nevada del Cocuy Siscuinsí Lake Lake Tota Caldas Los Nevados Caquetá Angostura del Caquetá Araracuara Canyon Caño Paujil Chiribiquete Claro River Mirití River Casanare Sierra Nevada del Cocuy Cauca Gorgona Island Lagunas de la Magdalena y de Santiago Nevado del Huila Puracé Volcano Cesar Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Chocó Cabo Marzo Ensenada de Utría Los Katíos Cundinamarca Chingaza Lake Guatavita Rocas de Suesca Guainía Atabapo River Cerros de Mavecure La Guajira Alta Guajira Cabo de la Vela Los Flamencos Sanctuary Salinas de Manaure Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Guaviare Cerro Pintado Chiribiquete Ciudades de Piedra Inírida River Raudales Huila Claro River Estrecho del Magdalena Lagunas de la Magdalena y de Santiago Nevado del Huila Tatacoa Desert Magdalena Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Meta Caño Cristales Chingaza Nariño Cumbal Volcano Galeras Volcano Laguna de la Cocha Laguna Verde del Azufral Putumayo River Sanquianga Norte de Santander Los Estoraques Putumayo Cascada del Indio La Paya Putumayo River Quindío Cocora valley Los Nevados Risaralda Los Nevados San Andrés y Providencia Isla de Providencia Santander Chicamocha Canyon El Gallineral Tolima Cerro Bravo Nevado del Huila Los Nevados Valle del Cauca Farallones de Cali Malpelo Island Vaupés Apaporis River Tunnel Raudal de Jirijirimo Raudal de Yuruparí Vichada El Tuparro
Source: Wills, Fernando et al. 2001. Nuestro patrimonio - 100 tesoros de Colombia - Our heritage - 100 treasures of Colombia, 1-311. El Tiempo.

Coordinates: 2°34′59″N 76°01′59″W / 2.583°N 76.033°W / 2.583; -76.033