British Museum dazzled by 'lost city of gold' jewels from El Dorado Dazzling displays aim to unpick legend of lost city Golden works on display show value placed on gold by Andean people Beyond El Dorado exhibition opens at British Museum on Thursday The mythical 'lost city of gold' El Dorado is the subject of a dazzling new exhibition at the British Museum. 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. Some of the golden works that will go on display at the Beyond El Dorado exhibition at the British Museum on Thursday The 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 from October 17 until March next year. A gold alloy seated female poporo, which will be part of the exhibition 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.' The exhibition also explores 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 objects will include a 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.