From El Dorado to Empire

Long before anyone drilled a hole here, people were working Colombian gold into objects of real beauty. From El Dorado to Empire is our history series on the history of gold in Colombia, told the way you’d tell it around a campfire after a long day: carefully, with respect, and with an eye for a good story.

What the series covers

• The Muisca and other Indigenous goldsmiths, and the skill behind their work.
• Lake Guatavita and the legend of El Dorado, and how myth and fact came apart.
• The colonial gold trade and the mining towns it built.
• Colombia’s emeralds and their long, colourful history.
• Mining in the 19th and 20th centuries, up to the eve of the modern era.

Why history matters

Many of today’s projects sit on ground that has been worked for centuries. Old workings, colonial-era towns and artisanal miners are part of the landscape explorers walk into. Knowing that history helps you understand Colombian mining stocks in context, and it’s a fine read in its own right. We draw on reputable historical sources and say so when a story is legend rather than record.

Pick up the story where this series leaves off in Modern Exploration, see where the old districts sit in Regions, or return to the rest of Colombia 101. Our newsletter, The Vein, brings each new chapter to your inbox.