The San Agustin archaeological park in Colombia includes a wide variety of stone sculptures carved between AD 100 and 1200. In the park are an amazing array of separate stone sculptures, in the shapes of animals and warriors and human faces, some mythical, some realistic. They are carved out of volcanic rock--some are over 4 meters tall and weigh several tons. The site, excavated by K. Th. Preuss during the 1940s, has been declared a World Heritage Site.
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Although I've never seen the sculptures myself, reader Chris F reports that they aren't made of volcanic rock but rather soft sandstone, saying "Anyway, it is a most impressive spot, the archeological park is huge and the history and culture unique. I’d go back in an instant".
Konrad Th. Preuss 1974. Arte monumental prehistórico: excavaciones hechas en el alto Magdalena y San Agustín, Colombia: comparación arqueológica con las manifestaciones artísticas de las demás civilizaciones americanas. (tr from German to Spanish by Hermann Walde-Waldegg y César Uribe Piedrahita). Bogotá: Dirección de Divulgación Cultural de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia, 1974.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology.Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
