On a small farm overlooking the town of Sardinata, Norte de Santander, farmer Modesto Carvajal has earned the reputation as the amateur archaeologist of the region, having found dozens of cooking utensils in the clay and mud of his property. Without formal training in the science of antiquities, Modesto believes his subsistence farm is located on an ancient burial ground of the Chitarero peoples, a tribe that inhabited large swathes of land in both the departments of Santander and Norte de Santander.
From 1000 BC to the Spanish conquest, the Chitareros left a lasting legacy through their organized, cultural, and economic activities, reflective of the broader Chibcha indigenous family from which they descended.
The Chitareros are historically recognized for ending the life of Ambrosio Alfinger, the first European to explore the highlands of these two departments.
The Chitareros lived in huts and shacks constructed from clay with thatched roofs. These dwellings were typically dark and lacked ventilation, situated near rivers or lagoons. The chiefs’ homes were the largest, featuring two rooms – one for storing weapons and another for provisions. A protective stockade of logs or wood encircled these homes to prevent enemy incursions.
Religious festivals among the Chitareros were marked by processions to the chiefs’ stockades or dwellings, where they offered tributes, including agricultural, domestic, and mining labor. Bartering was a common practice for the Chitareros, involving the exchange of goods with neighboring tribes such as the Guanes, Muiscas, and Laches of Santander. Traded items included meat, fish, cotton, corn, coconuts, blankets, agave, firewood, calabashes, wax, honey, necklace beads, sea shells, animal skins, tobacco, annatto, and birds with beautiful feathers. These transactions typically took place at fairs and markets.
Farmer Modesto has found in the pen where his cattle retire for the night, remnants of carving stones and polished mortars, objects that he has donated to the Mayoralty for their safekeeping.
The Chitareros relied on fishing in rivers and lagoons, as well as hunting in nearby forests. They dried meat and fish in the sun or smoked them in their hearths. As hunters and gatherers, they collected various plant products, such as prickly pears, blackberries, and cape gooseberries. Their economy was diverse, encompassing agriculture, fruit gathering, ceramics, pottery, mining, hunting, fishing, and weaving. These activities were essential for both trade and sustenance.
