Panche

The Panches were an amerindian tribe of carib origin, who spoke a language pertaining to the cariban family. Their lands extended from the western portions of Cundinamarca to the valley of the Magdalena river.

The Panche nation was created with the unions of various indigenous tribes, such as the Tocaima, Anapuima, Suitama, Lachimí, Anolaima and Síquima. When the first Spanish conquistadores reached these lands, there were more than 200,000 people living on the sides of the Magdalena river.

Their skin was reddish and they didn't generally use clothes. They used ornamentary jewels made with gold. They used weapons, primarily maces, bows, arrows and darts. They prepared poisonous mixtures using venom from snakes and spiders, which they applied to their arrows. The Tocaima tribe was the most civilized and most pacific of the group, and the Síquimas were the most warlike.

The population lived in various villages, all dependent from one where the cacique (chief) lived. The villages were not easily reachable and there was a single pathway. On the way to their villages deep trenches were made as a means of protection from enemies.

The Panches used ceramics to make their own items. They knew how to create clothes through rudimentary sewing techniques. Their music had artistic and sometimes religious connotations, and it was performed with various instruments such as ratchets, sea shells, jingle bells, and drums.

External links

• Panche at the spanish wikipedia