Photo Essay: Stone-faced shamans & gilded tombs - the archaeological treasures of Southwest Colo
In the wild Andes of Southwest Colombia the stone shamans of San Augustin stared maniacally back at me with wide coca-induced eyes and toothy grins punctuated by jaguar fangs. My local guide, Oscar Gomez, explained the human-sized monoliths were carved between the 1st-9th centuries. “We don't know where this civilisation came from or where it went,” Oscar said. “They are Colombia’s biggest mystery”. And perhaps Colombia’s best kept secret too? Despite Colombia’s growth in pop