View source for Tierradentro

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{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
| WHS           = National Archeological Park of Tierra abajo
| image         = Tombs in Tierra Dentro.jpg
| image_upright = 1.2
| caption       = 
| location      = [[Inzá, Cauca|Inza]], [[Colombia]]
| criteria      = {{UNESCO WHS type|(iii)}}(iii)
| ID            = 743
| coordinates   = {{coord|2|35|N|76|2|W|display=title, inline|format=dms}}
| year          = 1995
| locmapin      = Colombia
| map_caption   = 
}}
'''Tierradentro''' (meaning "Underground" in [[Spanish language|Spanish]] for their well-known tombs) is one of the ancient [[Pre-Columbian cultures of Colombia]]. It started to flourish around 200 BC in the mountains of southwest Colombia, and continued into the 17th century. The Tierradentro culture is particularly well known for its dense collection of elaborate [[Pre-Columbian cultures of Colombia|pre-Columbian]] [[hypogea]].
It is considered part of [[San Agustín culture]] rather than a separate culture.
 
The typical Tierradentro 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.<ref name = "unesco">{{cite web |title = National Archeological Park of Tierradentro |url = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/743 |website= UNESCO World Heritage Centre |publisher = United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization |access-date = 24 Apr 2021}}</ref> The walls are painted with geometric, [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] and [[Zoomorphism|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 details in the sculptures and [[pictorial]] patterns in the hypogea are similar to the neighboring [[San Agustín culture]], although they occur at much higher density.<ref name = "unesco" />

Hypogea have been found in several excavations across the region, including Alto del Aguacate (Avocado Hill), Alto de San Andrés, Alto de Segovia, Alto del Duende and El Tablón. The mountainous area where the Tierradentro culture thrived and the excavations of 162 hypogea now comprise a national archeological park in the jurisdiction of the municipality of [[Inza, Cauca|Inza]], [[Departments of Colombia|Department]] of [[Cauca Department|Cauca]], [[Colombia]].<ref name = "unesco" /> The park is located 100&nbsp;km away from the capital of the Department, [[Popayán]]. The Tierradentro culture that created this [[funeral]] complex inhabited this area during the first millennium AD, and the park features hypogea dating from 6th to 9th centuries AD.<ref name = "unesco" /> The Terradentro National Archeological Park was listed as a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] in 1995 because of its "unique testimony to the artistic and social culture of the region".<ref name = "unesco" />

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.<ref>[[World Monuments Fund]]: [http://www.wmf.org/watch/watch-sites-1996?country_name=Colombia&tid_1=All World Monuments Watch 1996-2012]. – Retrieved on 13 February 2013</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[https://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=743 Unesco's website on Tierradentro]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20091015080210/http://www.tierradentro.info/ A professional introduction to Tierradentro Park]

{{World Heritage Sites in Colombia}}
{{Archaeological sites in Colombia}}
{{Treasures of Colombia}}
{{Pre-Columbian}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Colombia]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Colombia]]
[[Category:Prehistory of Colombia]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Cauca Department]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Cauca Department]]
[[Category:Parks in Colombia]]