It was in 1757 that Friar Juan de Santa Gertrudis first revealed the existence of statues carved in stone in the southern part of Huila province, in his book Maravillas de la Naturaleza (Wonders of Nature). Many years later, scientists on the Botanical Expedition visited the region, amongst whom was Francisco José de Caldas. From that time on and throughout the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth centuries, a considerable amount of both private and academic exploration work was undertaken, including that by the 1857 Chorographic Commission under the supervision of geographer Agustín Codazzi.

Nowadays, most of the monuments and statues that were found in those days are protected on the premises of the San Agustín Archaeological Park, which is run by the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History. The Park was declared a mankind heritage site by UNESCO in 1995. Situated south of the town of San Agustín, it boasts an archaeological museum that has been built on one of the terraces that were used in the past as a ceremonial site, now known as Mesitas.

A trip through the Park takes us first to Mesitas A, B, C and D, where various statues can be seen that have been removed from their original sites, and part of the tombs that have been excavated. On leaving Mesitas D we find an earthwork built by indians, which leads to a stone-slab path running in the direction of Mesita B.

If we follow this path, which leads to the Lavapatas stream, we come to Mesita C, where there are various tombs, graves and statues. In the stream, visitors will find one of the most interesting works in the region, the Lavapatas fountain. This is a group of sculptures in the form of batrachians, snakes, mammals and human faces, carved on-site on the rocky bed of the stream.

Not far away from this we find a second group of monuments, concentrated in the town of San José de Isnos: Alto de los Ídolos and Alto de las Piedras. Alto de los Ídolos is on the top of two hills, and consists of ten funerary mounds in all, with large tombs and shrines. Various statues can be seen at Alto de las Piedras, including the "double I" ones.

As we move away a little from the Archaeological Park itself, we find groups of statues around its edges, and also settlements and agricultural drainage works. These sites are Quinchana, El Purutal, La Pradera, Quebradillas and La Pelota.

There are also a number of other sites with individual characteristics to the north of the town of San Agustín: La Chaquira, for example, where petroglyphs carved directly onto large rocks that look over an impressive precipice have been found.

San Agustín and the Gold Museum Exhibition

San Agustín: Development of a Hierarchical Society

The Art of Carving Stone

Archaeological Parks: San Agustín