Alto de las Piedras is an archaeological site nestled in the municipality of Isnos, in Colombia’s Huila Department. It’s part of the broader San Agustín Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its mysterious pre-Columbian statues and burial mounds.
Compared to the main San Agustín park, Alto de las Piedras offers a quieter, more reflective experience.
The standout piece here is the “Doble Yo” (Double Me) statue—two figures stacked vertically, believed to represent duality or a shamanic vision.
Like other sites in the region, it features tombs and burial mounds dating back to around 400 BCE to 100 CE.
The park sits about 7 km north of Isnos and offers stunning vistas of the surrounding hills and valleys.
Alto de las Piedras is part of a network of sites that reflect the spiritual and ceremonial life of an ancient civilization. The statues—often depicting humans, animals, and mythical beings—are thought to guard the dead and symbolize beliefs about the afterlife.
Entrance to Alto de las Piedras Archaeological Park |
Magical and Ancestral Territory «At this site, a few kilometers from Alto de Los Idols, you can visit funerary structures, also composed of dolmen-like structures resembling corridors preceded by statuary. This site dates from the same period as the structures built on the San Agustín and Alto de Los Idolos plateaus, and is of similar importance and population density. At Alto de las Piedras, the sculpture on the main mound stands out, similar to the one found at Alto de Lavapatas, in San Agustín. This carving, known by the local community as the "double self," resembles a human figure with animal teeth. Resting on its body is the figure of another being with human and animal features, who appears to be wearing a headdress over its head and back. On the back, the body and face of an animal with reptilian features can be seen. The slabs of this tomb feature geometric motifs made with black paint on a red background. Despite the damage to the funerary structure caused by looters, archaeologists were able to find two steps carved into the earth and offerings consisting of fragments of stone axes and ceramics.» |
Welcome «The Alto de las Piedras, formerly called “Gallineros”, was transformed by the pre-Hispanic inhabitants of the region for housing during the Formative period (1000 BCE - 1 CE) and to a monumental burial site during the Regional Classic period (1 CE - 900 CE). Since 1970, this property is part of the Archaeological Park of San Agustin, which is managed by the Colombian Institute for Anthropology and History (Instituto Colombiano de Antropologia e Historia, ICANH). At this site you will find funerary constructions made by the inhabitants of the region during the Regional Classic period (1 CE - 900 CE), such as statues, burial corridors and decorated graves. This ceremonial site, together with the remains of three or four burial mounds - strongly altered by the practice of “guaqueria” (looting)- was, according to regional studies, a political center as important as the two larger sites of Mesitas and Alto de los Idolos. As with the other ceremonial and political centers, there was a concentration of population in the vicinity of this place.» |
Mound I «The main sculpture of the mound, similar to that found in the Alto de Lavapatas at Mesitas, San Agustin, represents a human character with animal teeth. The figure of another being with human and animal attributes rests on his body, wearing a headdress on his head and back. On the back, the body and the face of an animal with reptilian features may be seen. The slabs of the tomb were decorated with geometric motifs painted in black over a red background. Despite the damage caused by looters to the funerary structure, archaeologists were able to find two steps. carved into the earth in the pit, and offerings made up of fragments of stone axes and pieces of pottery.» |
Mound II «This mound is the area most affected by the action of looters and treasure-hunters who destroyed both the funerary corridor and the main tomb. In 1914, when resercher Konrad Theodor Preuss visited the site, he recorded two sculptures and a stone fence that connected the two mounds. One of the sculptures is exhibited here, while the second one was taken by the resercher to the Berlin Ethnological Museum. Years later, the archaeological commission led by Duque and Cubillos (1974-1975) located two graves outside the mound. Finally, the reconstruction of the main tomb was performed in 1990.» |
Statue depicting a human figure with an animal perched on its head
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Mound III - Dolmen I «The sculpture of this dolmen has a thick belt worn as a skirt, a headdress, and a necklace with several turns with pendants and bracelets. Archaeologists found the main tomb behind the dolmen. Inside, some slabs still have large circles painted in yellow and black on a red background. The decoration is similar to that observed in one of the tombs found at the Alto de los Idolos, and according to anthropologist César Velandia it represents the feather design of the King Sarcoramphuse (Sarcoramphus papa). The inner face of the stones that make up the ceiling is painted in dark red. One of the slabs has a border of circles forming a yellow stripe. Below this, the image of an animal, apparently an ape with his head down and masculine traits, was engraved in the northern part of the tomb.» |
Mound III - Dolmen II «This statue seems to represent a female figure. Given its bulging belly, it has been interpreted as being a pregnant woman. In addition to the detail of its navel, the sculpture had a motive on the cheek painted in black, which disappeared over time. Except for the adornment on its forehead, the sculptures at this mound have very similar features, such as their adornments (headdress, necklace and bracelets) and their bodily expression. This dolmen features geometric designs made with black paint on red and dark yellow backgrounds. Similar designs are found in different archaeological sites in this region.» |
Mound IV - Dolmen III «The commission led by Duque and Cubillos between 1974 and 1975 registered three dolmens and three tombs in this sector. The main funerary structures of this archaeological site were found here, together with evidence of ancient dwellings. The statue is found sitting on a kind of throne, wearing a headband, necklace, bracelets and ribbons on its legs. Objects like these in gold, have been found in a few tombs in the region. It holds a small container in its right hand, a trait shared with one of the statues from the Alto de los Idolos (Mound 10). The first tomb from this funerary complex was located just behind the dolmen, as in previous cases. Red paint covering its entire surface was found on the inside of the slab. Some fragments of pottery and two large obsidian flakes were found inside the tomb.» |
Mound IV - Dolmen IV «Here we find the other two tombs from this mound. The first is a rectangular stone-lined pit. In the landfill, archaeologists found ceramic fragments, and within the burial chamber two gold wires braided at their ends with polished, dark green beads. Also, ten square sheets made of gold were found, with sides measuring approximately one centimeter, resembling another finding made at Alto de los Idolos. The other excavated tomb consisted of a semi-oval pit, covered with slabs. Grave goods were found in the tomb, consisting of ceramic pieces, volcanic tuffs of dark red color, eight beads and 85 small beads made of gold, among other items. To the south of the mound, archaeologists Duque and Cubillos found a waste deposit, which is an evidence of the existence of ancient dwellings alongside the funerary monuments. Here they found objects made of ceramics and stone, charcoal and remains of corn similar to those found at the Alto de Lavapatas, at the main site of the Archaeological Park of San Agustin, in Mesitas.» |
Leaving Alto de las Piedras Archaeological Park |
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