Yotoko ( Spanish: Yotoco ) - an ancient Colombian culture of local origin that existed in the valleys of Calima and Dorado, department of Valle del Cauca . Yotoko culture is considered to be the heir to the more ancient culture of Ilam , which existed in the same region in the XIV-I century BC. e. Yotoko culture existed in the I-XII centuries BC. e.
Due to the high acidity of the soil, the bone remains were not preserved, however, there are many ceramics, textile and metallurgical products.
People lived yotoko in villages and small towns. Like their ancestors from the culture of Ilam, people built villages on hilltops yotoko, but artificial terraces were often created for this purpose.
The decline of the yotoko culture began in the VI century before the arrival of representatives of other peoples in the region. Around the 13th century AD e. the yotoko culture was supplanted by the Sonso culture (the so-called “early Sonso”).
Content
Economics
The economy was based on agriculture, mainly on the cultivation of corn, beans, cassava , celery , annatto and auyama (a local pumpkin variety). Channels were laid in low-lying, flood-prone areas. For agricultural production, organic fertilizers were used.
Various ceramic vessels were distributed: large clay cups, cauldrons, funeral urns, jugs, plates, goblets and porous clay vessels. Among the decorations (on ceramics) zoomorphic, anthropomorphic and geometric motifs prevailed. Yotoko ceramics were made using a technology similar to that of Ilam, with notches, appliqués or patterns. Yotoko used notches less often, and drawings - more often than Ilama, while they could be one-, two- and multi-color.
Yotoko metallurgy is a direct continuation of the metallurgical art of the Ilam culture. Local metallurgists were well versed in metal processing and smelting technologies. The main technologies were forging and chasing. Among the finds there were gold objects, mainly: tiaras, nose rings, ear rings, pectorals, bracelets, pendants, masks, and many others. Wax casting technology was used to make complex brooches and masks. Granulation was used to make rosary necklaces, rings and pyrite mirrors.
Various regions of Yotoko united by an extensive network of roads. This shows the importance of sharing and trading yotoko with other local cultures. The width of the roads ranged from 8 to 16 m.
Community structure
The yotoko culture was more complex than the previous Islamic culture, in its social structure. There was a deep stratification of society, the institution of village rulers. The intensive use of agriculture and the high level of pottery and metallurgical art show that there were professionals in Yotok society. The elite consisted of Kasiks , shamans and warriors.
Literature
- Rodriguez Carlos Armando. Tras las huellas del hombre prehispánico y su cultura en el valle del Cauca. - Instituto Vallecaucana de investigaciones científicas INCIVA, Fundación hispanoamericana de Cali, Embajada de España en Colombia. Cali, 1992.
- Konstantinova N.S., Pichugin P.A., Culture of Latin America. Institute of Latin America, ROSSPEN, 2000.
Links
- Wikimedia Commons has media related to yotoko art
- Yotoko products (inaccessible link) on the Cleveland Museum of Art