The Muisca language is officially extinct. The language, part of the Chibcha linguistic family, was previously spoken by the Muisca people, who lived around Colombia‘s central highlands including the area surrounding present-day Bogotá. Much of the language‘s history is found in texts and documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, rescued from archives where they sat dormant. The language‘s path towards extinction was cemented by the ruling of King Charles III of Spain, who banned its use as a way to further control the indigenous population. The law remained until Colombia‘s 1991 Constitution was passed.