← Civilizations
600 CE – 1540 CE
Muisca Confederation
Andean goldsmiths whose rituals inspired the legend of El Dorado.
Timeline
c. 600 CE
Rise of the Muisca
Farming communities coalesce on the high plains of Colombia.
c. 1000 CE
The El Dorado rite
A new chief is gilded in gold dust and offers treasure to a sacred lake.
1540 CE
Spanish conquest
Spanish forces overrun the Muisca lands in search of gold.