In this volume, Alicia Perea, Ana Verde Casanova, and Andrés Gutiérrez present the results of a three-year project (2010–2013) focused on a detailed study of the Quimbaya Treasure, an impressive assemblage of 135 precolumbian gold artifacts kept in the Museo de América in Madrid. These artifacts are part of a large group of pottery, textiles, gold, and lithic grave goods looted in 1890 from two Quimbaya burials in the Department of Quindío, Colombia; they were donated to the Kingdom of Spain by the Colombian Government in 1893.
The aim of the project was to produce a holistic archaeological and archaeometric study, considering both the history and materiality of the assemblage to contribute to our understanding of the society that produced it. The materials, among the finest examples of Quimbaya goldwork, were studied by an international team whose comprehensive work included technical, iconographic, and contextual aspects of the gold objects. Dating, bioanthropological studies, acoustic studies of musical instruments, and a broad discussion of the Quimbaya culture are also included in this volume.
The book, written in Spanish, comprises three sections divided into sixteen chapters, ending with a catalog of the assemblage and nicely illustrated with high-quality images. The first section is the main body of the book. It covers four different topics: a biography of the assemblage; manufacturing techniques; archaeological contexts and iconography; and analysis of the musical instruments. Missing in this section is a good map of the region with the places mentioned in the text.
The volume starts with a thorough biography of the assemblage by Ana Verde Casanova: the first news of its looting, the acquisition of the materials by the Colombian Government, and their donation to the Kingdom of Spain. The vicissitudes suffered during WWI and the connection with the rest of the grave goods from both burials are also documented. This chapter makes clear the complexity of studying looted objects, which are usually encountered in museum collections, and discusses the problems of lost contexts and contradictory information.
In the second chapter, Alicia Perea and Salvador Rovira present the manufacturing techniques identified in the assemblage. Using a range of analytical methods—such as OM, XRF, PIXE, SEM-EDX, metallography, and X-ray radiography—the authors identify the use of alluvial gold and gold alloys in the manufacture of the artifacts; different techniques of lost wax casting; and the application of hammering and depletion gilding for certain type of artifacts, among other techniques. The results present an image of skilled and well-trained Quimbaya goldsmiths, with vast knowledge of the metals used, applying complex techniques and resolving technical problems. They also mastered work in wax and clay to produce complicated shapes and compound molds. Despite containing such technical information, this chapter avoids jargon and is easy for nonexperts to follow.
Andrés Gutiérrez explores archaeological contexts, funerary rituals, and iconography in the third chapter. Here the reader can get an idea of how impressive some Quimbaya burials were. We learn about the tradition of burning the bodies, consuming the ashes, and keeping part of the ashes in gold and pottery vessels. The ritual destruction of specific artifacts is also identified. From the iconography and designs, the author identifies a naturalistic and sober goldwork style, with simple lines and shiny surfaces used to produce ritual paraphernalia associated with personal ornamentation and coca leaf consumption. The representation of the female shape, men with erect penises, gourds, and insects in larval stages is linked with ideas of fertility, sexuality, and symbolic power.
In the fourth chapter, Mónica Gudemos analyzes the acoustics, materiality, and iconography of musical instruments. Interestingly, the author identifies common patterns in the typology of musical instruments from other areas, the Middle Cauca and Ecuador. The acoustic quality of the Quimbaya instruments appears to be superior, mainly due to their shapes, the alloys used, and manufacturing techniques.
The second section of the book consists of eight succinct chapters, with the details of each analytical technique applied and its results; these chapters are relevant for experts in the analysis of metallic objects. Using a Bayesian model, radiocarbon and TL dates from bones and ceramic cores are given as well, suggesting that the grave goods were produced and deposited between AD 400 and 600. I particularly liked the last chapter, where Beatriz Robledo and Gonzalo Trancho analyze small fragments of bone. They conclude that the cremation remains were human, determine the temperature range of the cremation, and propose a diet profile.
The third section, composed of three chapters, gives a general view of the Quimbaya culture based on the study of Quimbaya metalwork and pottery. Clemencia Plazas defines a Quimbaya style, showing its geographic distribution and temporal span. She portrays these communities as chiefdoms with different levels of complexity and social hierarchy. In two consecutive chapters—one centered on the differences between the Early and Late Quimbaya period and the second exploring the shamanic use and meaning of gold—Carl Langebaek invites (or demands) archaeologists to go beyond the types and geographic distribution of styles and to focus our questions on how Quimbaya communities operated and changed over time.
In the book's conclusion, both technical and iconographic studies suggest that the treasure was most likely made in a single workshop, probably involving two very skillful artisans. Radiocarbon dates indicate that the interval between the manufacture and the deposition of these grave goods was short, perhaps one or two generations, although the presence or absence of use marks on some objects suggests that part of the assemblage was made especially for the burial.
In a book so focused on the study of gold objects, it would have been easy to fall into a largely descriptive and technical routine. Nonetheless, Perea and colleagues achieve a complete volume that includes broad aspects of the background of the Quimbaya culture and places the treasure within a specific context. How the Quimbaya goldwork fits within other metallurgical traditions in the same area is not, however, clear, especially when we take into account the distribution of the Calima or Yotoco traditions, which overlap in the same regions (see Cardale, Calima and Malagana: Art and Archaeology in Southwestern Colombia, 2005). On this subject, it would be interesting for future works to compare this assemblage with other materials, such as the many studies of Colombian gold done at the Museo del Oro in Bogotá.
As a whole, the volume is a great example of archaeological and archaeometric research, one that integrates various fields within and beyond archaeology. The different disciplinary languages of the chapters reflect this diversity. Some chapters are easier to read than others; some use complex concepts (for example, chapter 3) that may be difficult for a nonspecialist public to understand. Nevertheless, the topics covered in this work allow readers to focus on their own interests. The beautiful images will surely captivate the public, making it a prime example of archaeological research that reflects the authors’ years of experience.
