Early Regional Polities of Coastal Ecuador

Masucci, Maria

doi:10.1007/978-0-387-74907-5_25

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…The Jama-Coaque culture further south in the Manabí Province would have been the closest group with access to green earth deposits. With the connections between these cultures seen in the archaeological evidence, this finding further demonstrates the likelihood of trade and interaction between the Tolita-Tumaco and Jama-Coaque (Meggers 1966;Masucci 2008;Valdez 1987).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

Compositional analysis and cross-cultural examination of blue and blue-green post-fire colorants on Tolita-Tumaco ceramics

Reiss¹,

Spilde²,

Peterson³

2019

BOLARQ

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Este estudio explora los colorantes azules y azul-verdoso utilizados por la cultura Tolita-Tumaco de las costas antiguas de Ecuador y Colombia. Utilizando la difracción de Rayos X (DRX) y la microscopía electrónica de barrido (SEM) con la espectroscopía de energía dispersiva (EDS), se analizaron muestras de cada uno de los colorantes azul y azul-verdoso para identificar las composicións mineral. La muestra azul verdosa de una cerámica encontrada en La Tolita fue identificada como celadonita o glauconita. Las pruebas de DRX y SEM en una muestra azul de un fragmento de figurilla de cerámica encontrado a lo largo del río Mataje se identificaron tentativamente como los anfíboles sódicos glaucofano y riebeckite. Las pruebas de DRX sugieren además otros minerales que pueden afectar el color, como la cordierita, antigorita y celadonita o glauconita. La comparación intercultural proporciona información sobre cómo los grupos ecuatorianos costeros utilizaron estos colorantes y ejemplifica la naturaleza innovadora detrás de su creación. Parece que el desarrollo de azul y azul verdosa ecuatoriano se derivó de las tradiciones de colorantes locales, con algunas fuentes de pigmentos localizadas.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

Compositional analysis and cross-cultural examination of blue and blue-green post-fire colorants on Tolita-Tumaco ceramics

Reiss¹,

Spilde²,

Peterson³

2019

BOLARQ

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“…La visualización LiDAR del contexto geográfico-cultural del Complejo Arqueológico de Cerro de Hojas-Jaboncillo supone el primer análisis espacial a gran escala de un yacimiento Manteño-Huancavilca (800-1550 d.C.), con la capacidad suficiente de mostrar un paisaje cultural sumamente complejo, marcado por un uso intensivo con fines agrícolas La inicial similitud morfológica con otros asentamientos y áreas de la cultura Manteña-Huancavilca (Masucci, 2008), puede ser asumida como un primer indicador fiable para hablar de sociedades jerarquizadas, vinculadas a amplias redes comerciales en las que se integran producciones artesanales específicas, pero en las que también jugará un papel fundamental la organización de tipo comunal.…”

Section: Conclusionesunclassified

Espacios agrarios, asentamientos prehispánicos y tecnología LiDAR en el área costera central del Ecuador

Priego

Olmo-Enciso

Labrada-Ochoa³

et al. 2021

Virtual archaeol. rev.

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The use of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology has revolutionised pre-Hispanic archaeology in large tracts of Central America (Canuto et. al. 2018; Fisher et al. 2016; Garrison et al. 2019; Chase & Weishampel, 2016). This contribution is particularly significant in areas in which jungles and a complex orography had precluded the implementation of large-scale landscape archaeology studies.Although this technology has not been used in South America as intensively as in Central America (Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras, among others), LiDAR is beginning to be used to answer questions concerning the interaction between the landscape, pre-Hispanic societies and their economic exploitation strategies (Amazonia, Peru) (Van Valkenburg et al., 2020). This work analyses one of the most important archaeological areas in central Ecuador, Cerros de Hojas-Jaboncillo (Figs. 1 & 2), which has traditionally been identified as a major centre of the Manteña culture. This culture spanned the current provinces of Manabí, Santa Elena and Guayas between the 8th and 15th centuries AD.Although the site was discovered in the early 20th century (Saville, 1907 & 1910; Estrada, 1957) on the slopes and summits of the Chongón-Colonche and Balzar hills range (formerly called Sierra de Bálsamo), it has not been until recent moments that the characterization of its extension, its spatial conformation, as well as the main geoarchaeological characteristics of the site have begun to be possible (López, 2008; Delgado, 2009; Tobar, 2012; Lunniss, 2012; Veintimilla-Bustamante, 2012). The limitations of previous studies were largely due to the prevalence of thick sub-tropical forests, whose trees are sometimes 14 m tall.In 2016, a large-scale LiDAR flight covering 147.78 km² at a density of 9 ppm² has revealed the main features of the archaeological complex, including various sites that illustrate a multi-nuclear settlement pattern (Figs. 5, 8 & 10). The study suggests that settlements, between 0.5 and 3 ha in size (Fig. 8), followed a common pattern, standing on small long hilltop plateaus. The complexes were visually connected and were linked by a road network.There is little doubt that one of the most important discoveries concerns the relationship between archaeological sites and complex agrarian systems, which point to the exploitation of wide areas. These had irrigation systems that involved rainwater retention and water resources maximisation (Figs. 6 & 8). The system made intensive rainwater use during the humid season (December-May); it also took advantage of the coastal mists that ensure precipitations on the hilltops.At the same time, the LiDAR survey has established differences between the settlement pattern in the north-eastern sector, in which the interaction between settlements and the agro-system is not so obvious, and the south-western sector, whose settlements are clearly related to wide terraced systems.These results will allow for comparisons between Cerros de Hojas-Jaboncillo and other known Manteño sites, such as Japotó (Bouchard, 2010), Agua Blanca (McEwan & Silva, 1992) and Ligüiqui. All of them point to the continued occupation of the same areas, and the continuity of some sites at least between the Guangala period (500 BC.-600 AD) and the late Manteño period (12th-15th centuries), as seen in Salango and its territory (Béarez, Gay & Lunniss, 2012).Most research in the 20th century has argued for an increase in social complexity during the classic Manteño period (8th-11th centuries), following a diffusionist explanatory pattern (Estrada, 1957). However, the LiDAR analysis of the Cerros de Hojas-Jaboncillo site points to prolonged periods of stable management of the environment, a response to the need to make use of the available resources. Archaeology, through large-scale landscape studies and the in-depth characterisation of sites through wide-ranging sampling methodologies can contribute to answering the question as to whether environmental management led to the formation of a “Manteño state” or whether this society can be better defined as a chiefdom (Touchard-Houlbert, 2010).Highlights:<ul><li>The study focused on the LiDAR research of the Cerro de Hojas-Jaboncillo, the most important pre-Hispanic site in the Manabi province (Ecuador).</li><li>LiDAR technology has allowed users to identify an intense occupation in a forest area, where until now, it was impossible to detect archaeological structures.</li><li>The study has established the close relationship between the pre-Hispanic occupation model and the use of complex irrigation systems.</li></ul>

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“…Around 600 BC, a series of notable changes begin to take place in the iconography of coastal Ecuador. Many scholars have noted that the archaeological evidence indicates a transformation process at this time that resulted in greater social complexity (Meggers 1966;Estrada 1957b;Valdez and Veintimilla 1992;Bouchard 1995;Bouchard and Usselmann 2003;Masucci 2008). Part of this new complexity included the emergence of specialized artisans (Cummins 1992(Cummins , 1994Valdez 1992;Ugalde 2009;Dumont et al 2010;Patiño 2017).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Tolita/Tumaco, Jama Coaque I, Bahía, and Guangala styles develop, more or less simultaneously, more complex images that strongly contrast with Formative societies. These societies all are considered to be early regional polities with hierarchical organizational structures, especially the two northernmost societies, Tolita/Tumaco and Jama Coaque (Meggers 1966;Masucci 2008;Valdez and Veintimilla 1992;Zeidler 2016).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Clay embodiments: Materializing Asymmetrical Relations in Pre-Hispanic Figurines from Ecuador

Ugalde¹

2021

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The longest tradition of figurine production in the Americas is found on the Ecuadorian coast, beginning with the Valdivia culture around 3500 BC and ending with the arrival of Spanish conquistadors, or possibly even later. In this article, figurines from different cultures and time periods in this tradition are analyzed with an emphasis on body politics, presenting the author’s reflections about how these artifacts embody ancient relations between people, especially with regard to gender asymmetries. It also discusses at some length the question of how contemporary perspectives for analyzing ancient materials are often influenced by western, patriarchal, ideology-laden interpretations. Although the corpus of figurines analyzed in this research is well known, prior to this study it has not been considered from the perspective of gender asymmetries, even though it is an excellent source of data for such analyses, especially in a diachronic perspective. The study argues that the figurine traditions of particular cultures implicitly emphasize some ideals, such as naturalizing the idea of females depending on males. The author argues that the frequent representations of female individuals associated with pregnancy and childcare can be seen as a political agenda designed to idealize the roles of mother and wife for women, and to limit the influence of female individuals in public activities connected to power and authority.

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Early Regional Polities of Coastal Ecuador

Cited by 11 publications

References 5 publications

Compositional analysis and cross-cultural examination of blue and blue-green post-fire colorants on Tolita-Tumaco ceramics

Compositional analysis and cross-cultural examination of blue and blue-green post-fire colorants on Tolita-Tumaco ceramics

Espacios agrarios, asentamientos prehispánicos y tecnología LiDAR en el área costera central del Ecuador

Clay embodiments: Materializing Asymmetrical Relations in Pre-Hispanic Figurines from Ecuador

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