The Panche or Tolima are an indigenous group of people that lived in what is now Colombia. They inhabited the southwestern parts of the department of Cundinamarca and the northeastern areas of the department of Tolima, close to the Magdalena River. At the time of the Spanish conquest, more than 30,000 Panche were living in what would become the New Kingdom of Granada. Early knowledge about the Panche has been compiled by scholar Pedro Simón.
Panche territory
The Panche were inhabiting the lower altitude southwestern areas of the Cundinamarca department, close to the Magdalena River. Their northern neighbours were the Muzo in the northeast and the Pantágora in the northwest, in the east the Muisca, in the southeast the Sutagao and to the south and southwest the Pijao. The northern limits were defined by the Río Negro and the Guarinó River and the southern limits the Coello and Fusagasugá Rivers.De Perdomo, 1975, p.249-250
The Panche people were organized in a loose confederation with different subgroups whose names still remain as municipalities of Cundinamarca.
Municipalities belonging to Panche territories
Name Department Altitude (m)urban centre Map Albán Cundinamarca 2245 Anapoima Cundinamarca 710 Anolaima Cundinamarca 1657 Apulo Cundinamarca 420 Beltrán Cundinamarca 235 Bituima Cundinamarca 1627 Cachipay Cundinamarca 1600 Chaguaní Cundinamarca 1200 El Colegio Cundinamarca 990 Girardot Cundinamarca 326 Guaduas Cundinamarca 992 Guataquí Cundinamarca 227 Guayabal de Síquima Cundinamarca 1630 La Mesa Cundinamarca 1200 Nilo Cundinamarca 336 Nimaima Cundinamarca 1085 Nocaima Cundinamarca 1105 Pulí Cundinamarca 1270 Quipile Cundinamarca 2012 Ricaurte Cundinamarca 284 San Juan de Rioseco Cundinamarca 1303 Sasaima Cundinamarca 1203 Tibacuy(disputed with the zipaof the Muisca) Cundinamarca 1647 Tocaima Cundinamarca 400 Vianí Cundinamarca 1498 Viotá Cundinamarca 567 Ambalema Tolima 241 Honda Tolima 229 Mariquita Tolima 495
Description The Panche were a strong group of warriors who fought numerous battles with the neighbouring Muisca. They walked partially naked and were ornamented with earrings, feathers and golden pieces.Martínez, 2005
The Panche hunted and fought wars with their enemies using sticks and clubs and poisoned arrows. They used poison of spiders and snakes for their arrows.
Petroglyphs of the Panche were discovered in Tibacuy, Viotá, El Colegio, Cachipay, Albán, Sasaima. Rock paintings have been found in Tibacuy. Petroglyphs of the Panche people
Like other indigenous peoples of the Americas, such as the Guane, the Panche performed cranial deformation.
According to Pedro Simón, the Panche performed cannibalism on parts of their conquered enemies.De Perdomo, 1975, p.253 Some sources state they ate everything except for the heads, which they hung in their bohíos. Cannibalism of the Panche - El Espectador However, later research by various researchers has found no evidence for cannibalism and attribute the cannibalistic ideas to the Spanish conquistadores.Francis, 1993, pp.14-15
In terms of their burial practices, the Panches differed from their neighbours that the dead were not oriented in a fixed position, like the Muisca with their heads to the east and the Muzo with their heads to the west.De Perdomo, 1975, p.275
Language
The Panche language is extinct, and is unclassified due to lack of attestation.
History
The Panche civilization has been described from 300 AD onwards. Around the year 1000 migrations from the Caribbean coast of Colombia happened inward. Panche culture and migrations
After the Spanish conquest and the installation of the New Kingdom of Granada, the Panche quickly diminished due to their resistance against the Spanish conquistadores.Chair of the Panche chief, resistance against the Spanish The first Spanish conquerors who invaded the Panche territories were Juan de Céspedes and Alonso de San Martín. Later conquest was performed by Hernán Venegas Carrillo.
More than 2000 artefacts from the Panche are stored in the Museo del Oro in Bogotá.
1543–44 - Expedition Hernán Venegas Carrillo Name Department Date Year Note(s) Map Bituima Cundinamarca 15 August 1543 Official website Bituima Chaguaní Cundinamarca 1543 Official website Chaguaní Apulo Cundinamarca 5 January 1544 Official website Apulo Tocaima Cundinamarca 20 March 1544 Official website Tocaima
See also
Muisca Muzo Pijao, Sutagao Colombian mythology Indigenous peoples in Colombia
References
Bibliography