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70-618: The 172 kilometres (107 mi) long river is one of the longest on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense and forms the natural borders of Cundinamarca and Boyacá and Boyacá and Santander in its upstream and downstream part respectively. The river formed the trajectory for the Spanish conquest of the Muisca , when the conquistadors went uphill into the Andes from the tropical lowlands of Barrancabermeja in

140-589: A central square where the bohío of the cacique was located. They were called "Salt People" because of their extraction of salt in various locations throughout their territories, mainly in Zipaquirá , Nemocón and Tausa . For the main part self-sufficient in their well-organised economy , the Muisca traded with the European conquistadors valuable products as gold , tumbaga (a copper - silver -gold alloy) and emeralds with their neighbouring indigenous groups . In

210-443: A dark green, sometimes with a reddish tinge, as they mature. The leaves of some other varieties are green practically from the beginning, whereas in yet others a pigment masks the green color of all the chlorophyll -bearing parts, leaves, stems and young fruit, so that they remain a dramatic purple-to-reddish-brown throughout the life of the plant. Plants with the dark leaves can be found growing next to those with green leaves, so there

280-586: A decoction of them in wine, with polenta and saffron , is good for inflammations of various kinds. Boiled by themselves, and applied to the face for three successive days, they improve the complexion." In Haiti it is called maskreti , where the plant is turned into a red oil that is then given to newborns as a purgative to cleanse the insides of their first stools. Castor seed and its oil have also been used in China for centuries, mainly prescribed in local medicine for internal use or use in dressings. Castor oil

350-471: A height of 2–3 metres (6.6–9.8 ft) in a year. In areas prone to frost it is usually shorter, and grown as if it were an annual . However, it can grow well outdoors in cooler climates, at least in southern England, and the leaves do not appear to suffer frost damage in sheltered spots, where it remains evergreen. It was used in Edwardian times in the parks of Toronto, Canada. Although not cultivated there,

420-494: A laxative, purgative , and cathartic in Unani , Ayurvedic , siddha and other ethnomedical systems. Traditional Ayurvedic and siddha medicine considers castor oil the king of medicinals for curing arthritic diseases . It is regularly given to children to treat infections with parasitic worms. The ancient Romans had a variety of medicinal/cosmetic uses for both the seeds and the leaves of Ricinus communis . The naturalist Pliny

490-472: A range of cultivars for leaf and flower colours, and for oil production. It is a fast-growing, suckering shrub that can reach the size of a small tree, around 12 metres (39 feet), but it is not cold hardy . The glossy leaves are 15–45 centimetres (6–18 inches) long, long-stalked, alternate and palmate with five to twelve deep lobes with coarsely toothed segments. In some varieties they start off dark reddish purple or bronze when young, gradually changing to

560-458: A replacement for castoreum , a perfume base made from the dried perineal glands of the beaver ( castor in Latin). It has another common name, palm of Christ , or Palma Christi , that derives from castor oil's reputed ability to heal wounds and cure ailments. Ricinus communis is the host plant of the common castor butterfly ( Ariadne merione ), the eri silkmoth ( Samia cynthia ricini ), and

630-414: A suitable climate, castor establishes itself easily where it can become an invasive plant and can often be found on wasteland. It is also used extensively as a decorative plant in parks and other public areas, particularly as a "dot plant" in traditional bedding schemes . If sown early, under glass, and kept at a temperature of around 20 °C (68 °F) until planted out, the castor oil plant can reach

700-445: A yellow nodule full of fats one end of the seed that are nutritious for young ants. After hauling their harvest into their nests and pulling off the delicious part, ants discard the rest of the seed into their trash pile, where the future plant starts to grow. Although Ricinus communis is indigenous to the southeastern Mediterranean Basin , Eastern Africa , and India, today it is widespread throughout tropical regions. In areas with

770-517: Is around two million tons per year. Leading producing areas are India (with over three-quarters of the global yield), China and Mozambique, and it is widely grown as a crop in Ethiopia. There are several active breeding programmes. Other modern uses of natural, blended, or chemically altered castor products include: Castor seeds have been found in Egyptian tombs dating back to 4000 BC; the slow-burning oil

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840-559: Is common on the Altiplano. The Altiplano Cundiboyacense is surrounded by and contains various Andean unique ecosystems; páramos . 60% of all páramos in the world are situated in Colombia. (Specifically, in the department of Boyacá with the most relative area of páramos). Boyacá is the department where 18.3% of the national total area is located. To the south the Sumapaz Páramo (largest in

910-486: Is considered to be four to eight seeds, reports of actual poisoning are relatively rare. According to the Guinness World Records , this is the world's most poisonous common plant. If ricin is ingested, symptoms commonly begin within two to four hours, but may be delayed by up to 36 hours. These include a burning sensation in mouth and throat, abdominal pain, purging and bloody diarrhea. Within several days there

980-534: Is most likely only a single gene controlling the production of the pigment in some varieties. The stems and the spherical, spiny seed capsules also vary in pigmentation. The fruit capsules of some varieties are more showy than the flowers. The flowers lack petals and are unisexual (male and female) where both types are borne on the same plant ( monoecious ) in terminal panicle -like inflorescences of green or, in some varieties, shades of red. The male flowers are numerous, yellowish-green with prominent creamy stamens ;

1050-590: Is regarded one of eleven archaeological regions of Colombia. The earliest evidence of human occupation in the region has been found in Pubenza , to the west of the Altiplano, dating to 16,000 years BP . On the Altiplano, the oldest findings are dated at 12,400 ± 160 years in El Abra . Slightly younger occurrences of settlement by hunter-gatherers have been discovered at Tibitó , with an estimated age of 11,740 +/- 110 years BP and Tequendama dated at 10,920 ± 260 years BP. In

1120-424: Is rich in triglycerides , mainly ricinolein . The seed also contains ricin , a highly potent water-soluble toxin , which is also present in lower concentrations throughout the plant . The plant known as "false castor oil plant", Fatsia japonica , is not closely related. Ricinus communis can vary greatly in its growth habit and appearance. The variability has been increased by breeders who have selected

1190-399: Is severe dehydration, a drop in blood pressure and a decrease in urine. Unless treated, death can be expected to occur within 3–5 days; however, in most cases a full recovery can be made. Poisoning occurs when animals, including humans, ingest broken castor beans or break the seed by chewing: intact seeds may pass through the digestive tract without releasing the toxin. The toxin provides

1260-659: Is sourced by Lake Fúquene in Boyacá at an altitude of 2,540 metres (8,330 ft) and forms together with the Chicamocha River the Sogamoso River in Santander at an altitude of 700 metres (2,300 ft). The river starts on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense where it forms the boundary between Cundinamarca and Boyacá and for a major part of its course downstream it is the natural boundary between Boyacá and Santander. The Suárez River

1330-438: Is the castor bean, which despite the term is not a bean (as it is not the seed of a member of the family Fabaceae ). Castor is indigenous to the southeastern Mediterranean Basin , East Africa , and India , but is widespread throughout tropical regions (and widely grown elsewhere as an ornamental plant). Castor seed is the source of castor oil , which has a wide variety of uses. The seeds contain between 40% and 60% oil that

1400-987: Is the only outlet of Lake Fúquene. In Chiquinquirá , it meets the Chiquinquirá River , and in Puente Nacional Quebrada Aguaclara. In Barbosa, the Suárez River meets the Moniquirá River and in Moniquirá the Ubasa River . West of San Gil , the Fonce River flows into the Suárez River and in Villanueva the Chicamocha River and the Suárez River form the Sogamoso River together. Other headwaters are

1470-418: Is the sole species in the monotypic genus , Ricinus , and subtribe , Ricininae . The evolution of castor and its relation to other species are currently being studied using modern genetic tools. It reproduces with a mixed pollination system which favors selfing by geitonogamy but at the same time can be an out-crosser by anemophily (wind pollination) or entomophily (insect pollination). Its seed

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1540-634: The Bogotá Formation of the southern Altiplano. The biodiversity and former tranquility of the isolated ecosystem changed during the Pliocene, when the Panama Block emerged from the seas and formed a transferable connection with formerly isolated North America. This Great American Biotic Interchange led to a drastic rearrangement of South American fauna. Migrating species from North America replaced many formerly successful South American animals, among which

1610-793: The Lenguazaque River , Ráquira River , Ubaté River , Susa River , Simijaca River and Cucunubá . Nearby Lake Suesca has an endorheic basin , not flowing out to the Suárez River. Around Saboyá , the climate is very wet, with more than 2,400 millimetres (94 in) of rain per year, while its source, Lake Fúquene only receives 1,000 millimetres (39 in) per year. The discharge registered in Saboyá varies between 1 and 12 cubic metres per second (35 and 424 cu ft/s) with maximum values in May and minimum values in January. In Saboyá, various flora surrounding

1680-593: The Paja Formation of Villa de Leyva . During the Late Eocene-Early Oligocene (35-30 Mya) epochs, South America became detached from its longest connected former member of Pangea ; Antarctica . The isolation of the South American paleocontinent led to a large biodiversity of New World species. The dominating group of top predators and scavengers for decades of millions of years on the continent were

1750-616: The Spanish conquest , to the Muisca Confederation . The Muisca were the inhabitants of the central Andean highlands of Colombia before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors . They were organised in a loose confederation of different rulers ; the zipa of Bacatá , with his headquarters in Funza , the zaque of Hunza , the iraca of the sacred City of the Sun Sugamuxi ,

1820-571: The Tenza Valley , to the east of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense where the majority of the Muisca lived, they extracted emeralds in Chivor and Somondoco . The economy of the Muisca was rooted in their agriculture with main products maize , yuca , potatoes and various other cultivations elaborated on elevated fields (in their language called tá ). Agriculture had started around 3000 BCE on

1890-514: The Tundama of Tundama , and several independent caciques . The leaders of the Confederation at the time of conquest were zipa Tisquesusa , zaque Quemuenchatocha , iraca Sugamuxi and Tundama in the northernmost portion of their territories. The Muisca were organised in small communities of circular enclosures ( ca in their language Muysccubbun ; literally "language of the people"), with

1960-469: The larvae of muga and endi silkworms . Castor oil is an effective motor lubricant and has been used in internal combustion engines , including those of World War I airplanes, some racing cars and some model airplanes . It has historically been popular for lubricating two-stroke engines due to high resistance to heat compared to petroleum-based oils. It does not mix well with petroleum products, particularly at low temperatures, but mixes better with

2030-516: The terror birds . Fossils of terror birds have been found throughout South America, with a major collection from current Argentina , where the biggest terror bird, Kelenken , roamed the paleopampas in the early Miocene. The forming Andes created a hilly landscape in the regions bordering the former sea inlet from the proto-Caribbean. Other land animals in the Tertiary were the xenungulate Etayoa bacatensis , evidence for which has been found in 1987 in

2100-519: The zipa who succeeded his brother Tisquesusa upon his death; Sagipa , allied with the Spanish to fight the Panche , eternal enemies of the Muisca in the southwest. In the Battle of Tocarema, the allied forces claimed victory over the bellicose western neighbours. In late 1538, other conquest undertakings resulted in more founded settlements in the heart of the Andes. Two other expeditions that were taking place at

2170-505: The Altiplano Cundiboyacense, among others in Bojacá , Bogotá , Chía , Usme , Cogua , Cota , Facatativá , Nemocón , Madrid , Mosquera , Sáchica , Sibaté , Soacha , Subachoque , Suesca , Sutatausa , Tenjo , Tocancipá , Zipacón , Zipaquirá . The ages between 3000 and 1000 years before present corresponds to the Herrera Period , and the era between 1000 BP and 1537, the year of

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2240-488: The Altiplano, the original vegetation is at risk. Most important city of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense is the Colombian capital Bogotá . Other cities are, from northeast to southwest: The Altiplano Cundiboyacense hosts a number of rivers and lakes. Ricinus Ricinus communis , the castor bean or castor oil plant , is a species of perennial flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae . It

2310-401: The Altiplano. The agriculture of the Muisca was performed on small-scale cropfields, part of more extensive lands, and in a rather egalitarian manner; the higher social classes did not have access to more agricultural products than the lower class Muisca people. Their main difference was in the construction of their houses and access to meat. The predominant agricultural product of the Muisca

2380-473: The Elder cited the poisonous qualities of the seeds, but mentioned that they could be used to form wicks for oil lamps (possibly if crushed together), and the oil for use as a laxative and lamp oil. He also recommends the use of the leaves as follows: "The leaves are applied topically with vinegar for erysipelas , and fresh-gathered, they are used by themselves for diseases of the mamillæ [breasts] and de- fluxions;

2450-606: The Italian poet and Fascist supporter, during the First World War . Extract of Ricinus communis exhibited acaricidal and insecticidal activities against the adult of Haemaphysalis bispinosa ( Acarina : Ixodidae ) and hematophagous fly Hippobosca maculata ( Diptera : Hippoboscidae ). Members of the Bodo tribe of Bodoland in Assam , India, use the leaves of the plant to feed

2520-399: The Suárez River have been registered, among others Inga sp. , Croton funckianus , Mircyanthes sp. , Gynerium saggitattum , tropical smoke bush ( Euphorbia cotinifolia ), castorbeans ( Ricinus communis ), Alchornea sp. , Colombian oaks ( Quercus humboldtii ), Eucalyptus globulus and Cupressus sp. , Pinus sp. and Acacia sp. The Suárez River is of importance in

2590-558: The ancient territory of the Muisca . The Altiplano Cundiboyacense comprises three distinctive flat regions; the Bogotá savanna , the valleys of Ubaté and Chiquinquirá , and the valleys of Duitama and Sogamoso . The average altitude of the altiplano is about 2,600 metres (8,500 ft) above sea level but ranges from roughly 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) to 4,000 metres (13,000 ft). Altiplano in Spanish means "high plain" or "high plateau",

2660-502: The biggest lake of Colombia; present-day Lake Tota . Lake Tota is the remnant of a Pleistocene glacial lake higher up the Altiplano to the east. Lake Humboldt is thought to have existed until around 30,000 years ago with as modern remaining water bodies Lake Herrera , wetlands of Bogotá and the Bogotá River . Lake Humboldt had an irregular shoreline with an island in the centre; the present-day Suba Hills . The Altiplano Cundiboyacense

2730-428: The castor oil plant with some degree of natural protection from insect pests such as aphids . Ricin has been investigated for its potential use as an insecticide . Commercially available cold-pressed castor oil is not toxic to humans in normal doses, whether internal or external. Castor oil and the plant's roots and leaves are used in the ancient Indian medicinal system of Ayurveda . Global castor seed production

2800-414: The castor semi-looper moth ( Achaea janata ). It is also used as a food plant by the larvae of some other species of Lepidoptera , including Hypercompe hambletoni and the nutmeg ( Discestra trifolii ). A jumping spider Evarcha culicivora has an association with R. communis . They consume the nectar for food and preferentially use these plants as a location for courtship. Each castor seed has

2870-533: The conquest expedition went south and conquered Pasca and other settlements. The Spanish leader returned with his men to the Bogotá savanna and planned new conquest expeditions executed in the second half of 1537 and first months of 1538. On August 6, 1538, Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada founded Bogotá as the capital of the New Kingdom of Granada , named after his home region of Granada , Spain. That same month, on August 20,

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2940-448: The conquistadors arrived at the northern edge of the Bogotá savanna in Suesca . continued to Lenguazaque that was founded the next day, En route towards the domain of zipa Tisquesusa , the Spanish founded Cajicá and Chía . In April 1537 they arrived at Funza , where Tisquesusa was beaten by the Spanish. This formed the onset for further expeditions, starting a month later towards

3010-468: The dispersal of the seed by ants (myrmecochory). Three terpenoids and a tocopherol -related compound have been found in the aerial parts of Ricinus . Compounds named (3 E ,7 Z ,11 E )-19-hydroxycasba-3,7,11-trien-5-one, 6α-hydroxy-10β-methoxy-7α,8α-epoxy-5-oxocasbane-20,10-olide, 15α-hydroxylup-20(29)-en-3-one, and (2 R ,4a R ,8a R )-3,4,4a,8a-tetrahydro-4a-hydroxy-2,6,7,8a-tetramethyl-2-(4,8, 12-trimethyltridecyl)-2 H -chromene-5,8-dione were isolated from

3080-474: The earliest ages of human population prehistoric animals as the Cuvieronius , Haplomastodon and Equus amerhippus were living on the Altiplano. Later dated excavations have revealed a transition from a hunter-gatherer society living in rock shelters to open area settlements with Checua and Aguazuque as examples. Various burial sites at Checua have been dated between 8200 and 7800 years BP. During

3150-1023: The earliest phases, the first humans lived together with Pleistocene now extinct mastodons , as the fossil remains of Haplomastodon waringi , Neochoerus and Odocoileus in Soatá indicate. The main part of the diet of the people was formed by white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ). Other mammals included little red brocket ( Mazama rufina ), guinea pigs ( Cavia porcellus ), nine-banded armadillo ( Dasypus novemcinctus ), white-lipped peccary ( Tayassu pecari ), crab-eating fox ( Dusicyon thous ), spectacled bear ( Tremarctos ornatus ), ocelot ( Felis pardalis ), puma ( Felis concolor ), lowland paca ( Agouti paca ), Agouti taczamawskii , Dasyprocta , ring-tailed coati ( Nasua nasua ), western mountain coati ( Nasuella olivacea ), common opossum ( Didelphis marsupialis ) and collared anteater ( Tamandua tetradactyla ). Various archaeological sites with petroglyphs or pictographs have been discovered on

3220-583: The eastern Tenza Valley and the northern territories of zaque Quemuenchatocha . On August 20, 1537, the zaque was submitted in his bohío in Hunza . The Spanish continued their journey northeastward into the Iraca Valley , where the iraca Sugamuxi fell to the Spanish troops and the Sun Temple was accidentally burned by two soldiers of the army of De Quesada in early September. Meanwhile, other soldiers from

3290-430: The female flowers, borne at the tips of the spikes, lie within the immature spiny capsules, are relatively few in number and have prominent red stigmas . The fruit is a spiny, greenish (to reddish-purple) capsule containing large, oval, shiny, bean-like, highly poisonous seeds with variable brownish mottling. Castor seeds have a warty appendage called the caruncle , which is a type of elaiosome . The caruncle promotes

3360-605: The forming Andean chain left its trace in the form of the many emeralds found in the western and eastern parts of the Altiplano. From the Early Cretaceous until the Eocene, the region of the present-day Altiplano was dominated by a marine environment, as part of the long inland sea of northern South America. In these warm tropical seas a fauna of ichthyosaurs and pliosaurs developed, with important finds ( Kronosaurus boyacensis ( El Fósil ), Muiscasaurus , with four nostrils) in

3430-448: The history of Colombia, as it formed the fluvial artery that the conquistadors followed after they left the tropical lowlands of La Tora , present-day Barrancabermeja, uphill towards the Muisca Confederation . The Spanish conquerors followed the course of the Suárez river on the left bank until reaching Lake Fúquene. When Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada and his greatly reduced troops arrived at

3500-539: The lake, the lake levels were estimated to have been 10 to 15 metres (33 to 49 ft) higher than in 1950. Altiplano Cundiboyacense The Altiplano Cundiboyacense ( Spanish pronunciation: [altiˈplano kundiβoʝaˈsense] ) is a high plateau located in the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes covering parts of the departments of Cundinamarca and Boyacá . The altiplano corresponds to

3570-400: The lungs, triggering allergic reactions. The sap of the plant causes skin rashes. People who are allergic to the plant can also develop rashes from touching the leaves, flowers, or seeds. They can also have cross-allergic reactions to latex sap from the related Hevea brasiliensis plant. The toxicity of raw castor beans is due to the presence of ricin . Although the lethal dose in adults

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3640-453: The methanol extracts of Ricinus communis by chromatographic methods. Partitioned h-hexane fraction of Ricinus root methanol extract resulted in enrichment of two triterpenes: lupeol and urs-6-ene-3,16-dione (erandone). Crude methanolic extract, enriched n-hexane fraction and isolates at doses 100 mg/kg p.o. exhibited significant (P < 0.001) anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan-induced hind paw oedema model. Carl Linnaeus used

3710-413: The methanol-based fuels used in glow model engines . In total-loss-lubrication applications, it tends to leave carbon deposits and varnish within the engine. It has been largely replaced by synthetic oils that are more stable and less toxic. Jewellery can be made of castor beans, particularly necklaces and bracelets. Holes must not be drilled into the castor beans as the shell protects the wearer from

3780-436: The name Ricinus because it is a Latin word for tick ; the seed is so named because it has markings and a bump at the end that resemble certain ticks. The genus Ricinus also exists in zoology, and designates insects (not ticks) which are parasites of birds; this is possible because the names of animals and plants are governed by different nomenclature codes . The common name "castor oil" probably comes from its use as

3850-420: The north. The difference in altitude along the river course, from 2,538 metres (8,327 ft) at the source to 700 metres (2,300 ft) at its mouth, in its 98,230 square kilometres (37,930 sq mi) large basin causes climatic variations, especially with respect to precipitation. The frequent floodings of the river have given the Suárez River its name; conquistador Gonzalo Suárez Rendón tried to cross

3920-481: The northeast. The Altiplano is subdivided into three major valleys, from northeast to southwest: The average temperature on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense is 14 °C (57 °F), ranging from 0 °C (32 °F) to 24 °C (75 °F). The driest months of the year are from December to March, while rain is more common in April, May, September, October and November. From June to August strong winds are present. Hail

3990-435: The northwest of the Altiplano was covered with a lake, of which the current Lake Fúquene is a retreating remainder. To the extreme northeast, in Soatá , another Pleistocene lake was present. The largest paleolake in the latest Pleistocene was Lake Humboldt or Lake Bogotá covering the Bogotá savanna . The lake, some 4,000 square kilometres (1,500 sq mi) in size, at that time would have been seventy times larger than

4060-438: The often flooded highlands and a system of irrigation and drainage was developed. They cultivated their crops in rows of mounds. A delegation of more than 900 men left the tropical city of Santa Marta in April 1536 and went on a harsh expedition through the heartlands of Colombia in search of El Dorado and the civilisation that produced all that precious gold. The leader of the first and main expedition under Spanish flag

4130-663: The plant grows wild in the US, notably Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Cultivars have been developed by breeders for use as ornamental plants (heights refer to plants grown as annuals) and for commercial production of castor oil. Ricinus is extremely allergenic, and has an OPALS allergy scale rating of 10 out of 10. The plant is also a very strong trigger for asthma, and allergies to Ricinus are commonplace and severe. The castor oil plant produces abundant amounts of very light pollen, which easily become airborne and can be inhaled into

4200-728: The river in one of his conquest expeditions, but the sudden flooding made his horse drown in the Suárez River. The Suárez River is named after conquistador Gonzalo Suárez Rendón , after his horse drowned in the river when it experienced sudden flooding. The original name in Chibcha , given by the Guane was Saravita , meaning "departs from here". The Suárez River is 172 kilometres (107 mi) long and its drainage basin extends over 98,230 square kilometres (37,930 sq mi), of which 34,825.6 square kilometres (13,446.2 sq mi) in Santander. It

4270-475: The same time; of De Belalcázar from the south and Federmann from the east, reached the newly founded capital and the three leaders embarked in May 1539 on a ship on the Magdalena River that took them to Cartagena and from there back to Spain. Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada had installed his younger brother Hernán as new governor of Bogotá and the latter organised new conquest campaigns in search of El Dorado during

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4340-548: The second half of 1539 and 1540. His captain Gonzalo Suárez Rendón founded Tunja on August 6, 1539, and captain Baltasar Maldonado , who had served under De Belalcázar, defeated the cacique of Tundama at the end of 1539. The last zaque Aquiminzaque was decapitated in early 1540, establishing the new rule over the former Muisca Confederation . Present-day, due to the large population and agriculture of

4410-566: The second part is a combination of the departments Cundinamarca and Boyacá . The limits of the Altiplano are not strictly defined. The high plateau is enclosed by the higher mountains of the Eastern Ranges, with the Sumapaz mountains in the south and Chingaza to the east. The Tenza Valley is located to the east of the Altiplano and the Ocetá Páramo and Chicamocha Canyon are situated to

4480-616: The south, starting in the previously founded Kingdom of Quito in what is now Ecuador . The conquest of the Muisca on the Altiplano started in March 1537, when the greatly reduced troops of De Quesada entered Muisca territories in Chipatá , the first settlement they founded on March 8. The expedition went further inland and up the slopes of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense into later Boyacá and Cundinamarca . The towns of Moniquirá (Boyacá) and Guachetá and Lenguazaque (Cundinamarca) were founded before

4550-410: The terror birds. The Late Pleistocene of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense has been analysed in detail through various methods based on fossils found on the Altiplano. Pleistocene megafauna inhabited the glacial highlands of the eastern Andean chain. The climate in the glacials and stadials led to the formation of various prehistoric lakes in the valleys of the Altiplano. The Ubaté-Chiquinquirá Valley in

4620-552: The world) forms a natural boundary of the Altiplano. Chingaza contains páramo vegetation, as does the most beautiful Ocetá Páramo in the northeast. On the Altiplano the microclimate of the surroundings of Lake Iguaque produces a páramo. Regional geology The Altiplano Cundiboyacense is formed as part of the uplift of the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes since Neogene times. Hydrothermal activity in fractures of

4690-448: Was Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada , with his brother Hernán second in command. Several other soldiers were participating in the journey, who would later become encomenderos and take part in the conquest of other parts of Colombia. Other contemporaneous expeditions into the unknown interior of the Andes, all searching for the mythical land of gold, were starting from later Venezuela , led by Bavarian and other German conquistadors and from

4760-585: Was maize and they had numerous words in their language , Muysccubun for the plant, kernels and processing of it. Evidence for maize cultivation predates the Muisca; already in the Herrera Period maize cultivation has been identified based on pollen analysis. The cacicazgos were self-sufficient in their agricultural products and surpluses of maize ( abitago ) were traded for more tropical climate fruits such as pineapples , avocados and Ipomea batatas . The Muisca used terraces for their agriculture on

4830-566: Was mostly used to fuel lamps. Herodotus and other Greek travellers noted the use of castor seed oil for lighting, body ointments, and improving hair growth and texture. Cleopatra is reputed to have used it to brighten the whites of her eyes. The Ebers Papyrus is an ancient Egyptian medical treatise believed to date from 1552 BC. Translated in 1872, it describes castor oil as a laxative . The use of castor bean oil ( eranda ) in India has been documented since 2000 BC in lamps and in local medicine as

4900-540: Was used as an instrument of coercion by the paramilitary Blackshirts under the regime of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and by the Spanish Civil Guard in Francoist Spain. Dissidents and regime opponents were forced to ingest the oil in large amounts, triggering severe diarrhea and dehydration , which could ultimately cause death. This punishment method was originally thought of by Gabriele D'Annunzio ,

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