Elder brothers

Meeting survivors of a pre-Columbian civilization 

The Lost City is a pre-Columbian archaeological site located in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. It is estimated that the city has a history dating back approximately 1,400 years, making it older than Machu Picchu. Its construction is attributed to the Tayrona culture, an indigenous people who inhabited the region before the arrival of Europeans.

The city is built on artificial terraces that follow the profile of the mountains, upon which stand structures including ceremonial platforms, dwellings, tombs, and drainage systems.

In the Sierra Nevada, four distinct but interconnected peoples live, known as the Arhuaco (or Ika), the Wiwa, the Kogi, and the Kankuamo. Together, they number over 30,000 individuals.

They refer to themselves as the “elder brothers” and believe it is their responsibility to maintain the balance of the universe. When hurricanes, droughts, or famines occur in the world, they attribute it to humanity’s failure to maintain harmony in the world. For them, the Sierra Nevada is the heart of the world.