Towards the 7th century AD the high plains of the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia were populated by the Muiscas, a group linguistically related to the Taironas. At the time of the Spanish conquest they had expanded over an area of 25,000 square kilometres and comprised more than a million inhabitants. Farmers cultivating maize, potatoes and other Andean tubers, they lived scattered over the slopes and valleys, subject to chiefs who governed from villages.
Two principal chiefs, the Zipa and the Zaque, ruled over the south and
north of the territory respectively.