The Stone Guardians of San Agustín
In the Colombian Andes, hundreds of stone statues with fangs and staring eyes guard the tombs of a forgotten people.
What was reported
Around San Agustín, in southern Colombia, hundreds of stone statues stand in the hills and forests near the source of the Magdalena River. Many are guardian figures with fierce faces, fangs and animal features, placed beside burial mounds.
They were carved by a culture that flourished from roughly the 1st to the 8th century AD and had faded long before the Spanish arrived, leaving no written records.
Explanations offered
Archaeologists study the culture through its tombs and settlements, but its name and beliefs are unknown. The area is Latin America's largest group of religious monuments and megalithic sculpture, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- When
- Carved roughly 1st–8th centuries AD
- Where
- San Agustín, Huila, Colombia
- Witnesses
- Archaeologists
- Status
- Origins debated
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.