The municipality of Isnos in southern Huila commemorates 30 years since UNESCO inscribed the Alto de los Ídolos and Alto de las Piedras archaeological parks on the World Heritage list. The event features a community parade and an archaeology workshop for children. It highlights the role of teachers and peasants in preserving the region's cultural heritage.
Today Saturday, Isnos holds a community parade to mark 30 years since UNESCO's 1995 declaration, which listed Alto de los Ídolos—a 20-hectare site on the right bank of the Magdalena River—and Alto de las Piedras, a 10-hectare area, as World Heritage sites. In the afternoon, an archaeology workshop targets children.
In August 2024, the Ministry of Culture certified the Medardo García Archaeological Museum in Isnos as a museum entity, based on work by anthropologist Paola Galíndez Muñoz via the Museo Nacional de Colombia's Museum Strengthening Program. Sandra Milena García Córdoba, daughter of founder Medardo García (1956-2020), stated: “The museum consolidates a process that integrates innovation, community participation, and territorial dialogue, aimed at strengthening recognition of cultural identity and the region's archaeological potential.” ICANH's Certificate No. 4034 from 2016 registers 2,362 ceramic and lithic fragments recovered in archaeological projects.
Medardo García established the museum in 1982 and, with Álvaro Ramos, recovered over 500 pieces in the 1980s through private donations and approved interventions. He advocated for the parks during the mayoral terms of Rodrigo Murcia Bermeo and Álvaro Ramos Valencia, launching initiatives like 'Museum in Your Hamlet.' Sandra Milena García noted: “Through innovative initiatives like ‘Museum in Your Hamlet,’ we seek to promote appreciation of the territory's archaeological wealth.”
Historian and archaeologist Héctor Llanos Vargas, emeritus professor at Universidad Nacional de Colombia, emphasized rural teachers' and peasants' support in 1981 excavations. He recalled peasants providing lodging and a teacher offering the schoolroom during vacation, enabling fieldwork. A school year-end ceremony dedicated the term to Alto Magdalena culture, weaving archaeology into community education.
Concurrently, Isnos celebrates its 67th anniversary as a municipality, in line with the municipal Development Plan promising promotion of cultural access and preservation of intangible heritage.