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David Dellenback & Martha Gil: The Lost People of San Agustin

Surprisingly little is known about the mysterious Pueblo Escultor, ‘Sculptor People’, who created these burial mounds. They are alternatively called the Cultura del Alto Magdalena, ‘Upper Magdalena Culture’. The big mystery is why these sculptors disappeared in the ninth century. Did something happen to the climate? Were there volcanic eruptions? Was it contact—or conflict—with other pre-Hispanic cultures? So far, it’s not clear.