page_title: Spanish conquest of the Muisca
section_title: 1538–1539 – further conquest and foundations by Gonzalo
hierarchical_section_title: Spanish conquest of the Muisca / Later conquest expeditions / 1538 – Battle of Tocarema and further conquest / 1538–1539 – further conquest and foundations by Gonzalo
caption_attribution_description: Español: Escudo de Guataquí
context_page_description: The Spanish conquest of the Muisca took place from 1537 to 1540. 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 Boyacá, with his headquarters in Hunza, the iraca of the sacred City of the Sun Sugamuxi, 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, with 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, and emeralds with their neighbouring indigenous groups.
caption: Guataquí was founded by De Quesada, De Belalcázar and De Federmán in 1539, before sailing off the Magdalena to Cartagena
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