They populated the rock shelters of the high plateau in the Andes, then still with abundant Pleistocene megafauna as Cuvieronius, Haplomastodon, Equus amerhippus and giant sloths.

During this preceramic phase, the population shifted from rock shelters to open area settlement, of which Galindo and Checua are among the oldest.

Checua lies in the middle of a rich halite area, with salt mines in Nemocón, Zipaquirá and Tausa surrounding the site.

The sedimentary sequence consists of the oldest outcropping units of the Villeta Group of Early Cretaceous age.

[7] The vegetation was of a lower altitude dry forest type with native species Dodanae viscosa, Baccharis sp., Prunus capuli, Xilosma speculiferum, Duratana mutissi, Lupinus sp., dividivi (Tara spinosa), Solanum sp., Hesperolemes heterophyla and fique (Agave sp.).

[11] Dating of the tooth enamel of one of the remains, using Electronic Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR), provided an age of 7850 ± 190 years BP.

[15] Here, also scrapers and perforators were found, together with the main ingredients of the diet of the people; white tailed deer and guinea pig.

[18] As is the case with Aguazuque, the fourth and uppermost zone has been disturbed by modern agricultural activities and the presence of glass indicates contamination with postcolonial influence.