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More than 300 astonishing objects made from gold and other precious materials are presented in the major exhibition “Beyond El Dorado. Power and gold in ancient Colombia”, held by the British Museum in conjunction with the Museo del Oro, Bogotá. The exhibition opens on October 17, 2013 and will run through March 23, 2014.

Beyond El Dorado: Power and gold in ancient Colombia — **Anthropomorphic pectoral, Colombia, Tairona, AD 900–1600**
**[Credit © Museo del Oro–Banco de la República, Colombia]**

For centuries Europeans were dazzled by the legend of a lost city of gold in South America. The truth behind this myth is even more fascinating. El Dorado – literally “the golden one” – actually refers to the ritual that took place at Lake Guatavita, near modern Bogotá. The newly elected leader, covered in powdered gold, dived into the lake and emerged as the new chief of the Muisca people who lived in the central highlands of present-day Colombia's Eastern Range. This stunning exhibition, sponsored by Julius Baer, will display some of the fascinating objects excavated from the lake in the early 20th century including ceramics and stone necklaces.

In ancient Colombia gold was used to fashion some of the most visually dramatic and sophisticated works of art found anywhere in the Americas before European contact. This exhibition will feature over 300 exquisite objects drawn from the Museo del Oro in Bogotá, one of the best and most extensive collections of Pre-Hispanic gold in the world, as well as from the British Museum’s own unique collections. Through these exceptional objects the exhibition will explore the complex network of societies in ancient Colombia – a hidden world of distinct and vibrant cultures spanning 1600 BC to AD 1700 – with particular focus on the Muisca, Quimbaya, Calima, Tairona, Tolima and Zenú chiefdoms. This important but little understood subject will be explored in this unique exhibition following on from shows in Room 35 such as Ice Age art: arrival of the modern mind, Grayson Perry: Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman, Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World and Kingdom of Ife: sculptures from West Africa in shining a light on world cultures through their craftsmanship.

Although gold was not valued as currency in pre-Hispanic Colombia, it had great symbolic meaning. It was one way the elite could publicly assert their rank and semi-divine status, both in life and in death. The remarkable objects displayed across the exhibition reveal glimpses of these cultures’ spiritual lives including engagement with animal spirits though the use of gold objects, music, dancing, sunlight and hallucinogenic substances that all lead to a physical and spiritual transformation enabling communication with the supernatural. Animal iconography is used to express this transformation in powerful pieces demonstrating a wide range of imaginative works of art, showcasing avian pectorals, necklaces with feline claws or representations of men transforming into spectacular bats though the use of profuse body adornment.

The exhibition will further explore the sophisticated gold working techniques, including the use of tumbaga, an alloy composed of gold and copper, used in the crafting the most spectacular masterworks of ancient Colombia. Extraordinary poporos (lime powder containers) showcase the technical skills achieved both in the casting and hammering techniques of metals by ancient Colombian artists. Other fascinating objects will include an exceptional painted Muisca textile and one of the few San Agustín stone sculptures held outside Colombia. Those, together with spectacular large scale gold masks and other materials were part of the objects that accompanied funerary rituals in ancient Colombia.

Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum said “Ancient Colombia has long represented a great fascination to the outside world and yet there is very little understood about these unique and varied cultures. As part of the Museum’s series of exhibitions that shine a light on little known and complex ancient societies this exhibition will give our visitors a glimpse into these fascinating cultures of pre-hispanic South America and a chance to explore the legend of El Dorado through these stunning objects.”

“American Airlines and American Airlines Cargo are thrilled to be partnering with the British Museum on Beyond El Dorado: power and gold in ancient Colombia.” said Tristan Koch, Managing Director of Cargo Sales for EMEA – American Airlines. “American Airlines is a supporter of the arts in many cities that we serve around the world and it’s exciting to be linking the two destinations of Bogotá, Colombia and London by transporting precious passengers and cargo between them.”

Source: The British Museum [August 04, 2013]

The US Nation's Health

The US president Barack Obama has acted on Wednesday, on September, 9th, with the reference to the Congress in which has stated the basic points of the program of reforming of system of public health services, informs Associated Press.

According to Obama, at the heart of the plan of reforms three purposes lay. The first of them is improvement of conditions of medical insurance for those citizens who have already got the policy. In particular, it is a question of restriction of insurance payments and an interdiction for insurers to limit limits of cost of programs of treatment.

The second purpose of the program is creation of a stock exchange for insurers which will allow to get the insurance for reasonable money to those Americans at whom the insurance while is not present. Thus Obama has noticed, that for legal and physical persons who have no sufficient means, credits and reduced prices will be provided.

The third point of the plan provides introduction of obligatory medical insurance which will allow to cut down not planned budgetary expenses on payment of treatment of not insured persons. The given innovation will concern only those citizens and establishments who are able pay corresponding payments.

According to Obama, the total cost of the program calculated for ten years, will make 900 billion dollars. The president has assured legislators, that these expenses will not lead to the further growth of budgetary deficiency, and has underlined, that reform will manage to the country more cheaply wars in Afghanistan and Iraq or reductions of the taxes undertaken by administration of George Bush.

According to the plan of administration, means for reform will be received for the account of reduction of other articles of budgetary expenses, and also more rational distribution of incomes in the sector of medical insurance. In the long term, has noted Obama if it will be possible to limit rates of growth of expenses on insurance, the budget will win at least four billion dollars.

Besides, Obama has assured, that expenses on reform do not threaten interests of elderly Americans, having explained, that efficiency of program Medicare serving them will be on the contrary increased. Thus the president has answered statements of critics that reform will be defective for elderly citizens.

Reforming of system of public health services is one of key points of program Obama. Earlier it was informed, what exactly this project became the reason of decrease in popularity of the president. The organisations of conservative sense in different states organise protest actions on which blame the Washington authorities for criminal wastefulness.