Eight ceramic jars filled with gold, silver and emeralds discovered

Eight ceramic jars were discovered containing many artifacts made of gold, silver, and most notably, carefully crafted emeralds.

According to Ancient Origins, eight ceramic jars containing many precious artifacts were discovered at an ancient temple near the capital of Colombia, Bogotá. Inside each jar were many artifacts made of gold, silver, and most notably, carefully crafted emeralds.

Precious artifacts in ceramic jars. (Photo: Francisco Correa).

The ancient Muisca (also known as the Chibcha) people crafted pots called 'ofrendatarios' about 600 years ago. The Muisca, a thriving civilization in the region at the time, were renowned for their metalworking skills. Their works may have inspired the legend of the golden city of El Dorado.

According to Live Science, the treasure was discovered thanks to a survey led by famous Columbia archaeologist Francisco Correa, who specializes in surveying sites before building large structures. He described that the gold and silver treasures were crafted into the shapes of snakes and some other animals. The temple where the ceramic jars were discovered could serve as ancestral worship.

One of the vases includes - (Photo: Francisco Correa).

The shrines and pottery jars may have been related to the goddesses the Muisca worshipped, associated with the Moon and the Sun. The Muisca were masters of metalworking. When the Spanish invaded the Muisca, they were particularly impressed with the gold artifacts of the region's inhabitants. There were no gold mines nearby, so the ancient Muisca could trade metals with other peoples.