san agustín Near the high cold plains where the sources of the rivers Magdalena, Cauca, Patia and Caquetá can be found, is a mountainous region, part cold and misty, part with a temperate climate. In this area of approximately 100 km2, are the hundreds of stone statues of the San Agustin civilization. Many represent a double figure, part man, part animal. Jaguars, owls, lizards, dragons, birds, llamas and frogs are shown. The numerous statues and tombs suggest this may have been a ceremonial centre. Some figures wear ceremonial masks with symbolic designs such as crossed fangs, a sign of a cult centered on a feline deity. Many of the statues have tiaras, turbans and headresses, while others have clubs in their hands, probably used as weapons. Several statues hold ritual objects such as chisels, sceptres and snakes. It is clear that the artists only considered it important to detail the face and the upper part of the body. Consequently, the eyes, nose, mouth and the ornaments they wore are carved with precision and variety. Although finds of gold objects are rare, goldworking must have been an important activity, to judge by the representation of goldware which appear on the statues. From this area come some of the oldest objects known up to now in Colombia.