Economy
The Muisca had an economy and society considered to have been one of the most powerful of the American Post-Classic stage. When the Spaniards arrived in Muiscan territory, they found a rich statem, with The Muiscan Confederation controlling mining of the following products:
- emeralds: Colombia has been the major producer of emeralds in the world.
- copper
- coal: The coal mines still operate today at Zipaquirá and other sites. Colombia has some of the world's most significant coal reserves.
- salt: There were mines in production at Nemocón, Zipaquirá, and Tausa.
- gold: Gold was imported from other regions, but it was so abundant that it became a preferred material for Muisca handicrafts. The many handicraft works in gold and the Zipa tradition of offering gold to the goddess Guatavita contributed to the legend of El Dorado. Further information: Pre-Columbian goldworking of the Chibchan area
The Muisca traded their goods at local and regional markets with a system of barter. Items traded ranged from those of basic necessity through to luxury goods. The abundance of salt, emeralds, and coal brought these commodities to de facto currency status.
Having developed an agrarian society, the people used terrace farming and irrigation in the highlands.
Another major economic activity was weaving. The people made a wide variety of complex textiles. The scholar Paul Bahn said, "the Andean cultures mastered almost every method of textile weaving or decoration now known, and their products were often finer than those of today."
Read more about this topic: Muisca
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