﻿48 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  B. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  periods 
  established 
  with 
  certain 
  authenticity. 
  Although 
  the 
  earliest 
  

   manifestations 
  may 
  not 
  extend 
  back 
  before 
  the 
  Christian 
  Era, 
  as 
  some 
  

   have 
  suggested, 
  there 
  is 
  little 
  doubt 
  that 
  future 
  archeological 
  work 
  

   will 
  establish 
  a 
  respectable 
  antiquity 
  in 
  comparative 
  Andean 
  terms. 
  

   Each 
  of 
  the 
  archeological 
  divisions 
  presents 
  distinct 
  features, 
  such 
  as 
  

   the 
  deep-shaft, 
  multiple-burial 
  chambers 
  of 
  Carchi, 
  the 
  burial 
  and 
  

   dwelling 
  mounds 
  of 
  Imbabura, 
  the 
  rough 
  stone 
  houses 
  of 
  Tungurahua- 
  

   Chimborazo, 
  and 
  the 
  excellent 
  goldwork 
  of 
  Azuay-Caiiar. 
  Although 
  

   there 
  were 
  definite 
  overlapping 
  styles 
  and 
  influences 
  from 
  one 
  region 
  to 
  

   another, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  widespread 
  Tuncahuan 
  style 
  of 
  ceramics, 
  there 
  

   is 
  no 
  evidence 
  of 
  great 
  cultural 
  or 
  political 
  uniformity 
  over 
  a 
  wide 
  area. 
  

   Still, 
  every 
  zone 
  shows 
  a 
  respectable 
  cultural 
  inventory 
  for 
  each 
  of 
  its 
  

   recognized 
  periods. 
  It 
  is 
  interesting 
  to 
  note 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  strong 
  

   Central 
  Andean 
  influence 
  in 
  the 
  pre-Inca 
  archeological 
  periods. 
  In- 
  

   stead, 
  the 
  affiliations 
  with 
  Colombia 
  seem 
  better 
  established. 
  

  

  In 
  general, 
  however, 
  the 
  reconstruction 
  of 
  Highland 
  Ecuador 
  culture 
  

   from 
  the 
  chroniclers 
  and 
  the 
  archeological 
  remains 
  in 
  the 
  immediate 
  

   pre-Inca 
  period 
  presents 
  a 
  pattern 
  of 
  the 
  general 
  Central 
  Andean 
  type. 
  

   Subsistence 
  was 
  based 
  essentially 
  on 
  the 
  cultivation 
  of 
  maize, 
  beans, 
  

   squash, 
  quinoa, 
  and 
  potatoes. 
  From 
  the 
  deeper 
  valleys 
  many 
  tropical 
  

   fruits 
  were 
  obtained 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  condiment 
  aji. 
  Women 
  seem 
  to 
  

   have 
  played 
  an 
  important 
  part 
  in 
  the 
  agricultural 
  activities, 
  and 
  

   markets 
  for 
  exchange 
  of 
  food 
  were 
  prominent. 
  The 
  dog 
  and 
  the 
  

   guinea 
  pig 
  were 
  the 
  principal 
  domesticated 
  animals, 
  although 
  there 
  is 
  

   archeological 
  evidence 
  that 
  the 
  llama 
  was 
  known 
  before 
  the 
  Inca 
  

   conquest. 
  Hunting 
  was 
  of 
  greater 
  importance 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  south, 
  

   perhaps 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  greater 
  abundance 
  of 
  deer, 
  rabbits, 
  and 
  game 
  

   birds. 
  The 
  principal 
  weapons 
  were 
  still 
  the 
  spear, 
  spear 
  thrower, 
  

   slings, 
  and 
  wooden 
  clubs. 
  

  

  Houses 
  were 
  arranged 
  in 
  fairly 
  large 
  villages. 
  Most 
  of 
  them 
  were 
  

   of 
  perishable 
  materials 
  until 
  the 
  Inca 
  introduced 
  stone 
  masonry 
  on 
  a 
  

   large 
  scale. 
  Pottery 
  and 
  weaving 
  were 
  well 
  advanced 
  and 
  work 
  in 
  

   gold, 
  copper, 
  and 
  gilded 
  copper 
  equaled 
  the 
  technical 
  skill 
  of 
  the 
  Cen- 
  

   tral 
  Andes. 
  The 
  clothing 
  follows 
  in 
  general 
  the 
  Inca 
  pattern, 
  although 
  

   the 
  Car 
  a 
  men 
  wore 
  large 
  cotton 
  wrap-around 
  blankets 
  as 
  a 
  variant. 
  

  

  The 
  composition 
  of 
  the 
  villages 
  may 
  have 
  followed 
  an 
  ayllu 
  pattern, 
  

   although 
  evidence 
  is 
  meager, 
  and 
  the 
  cultivated 
  land 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  

   been 
  individually 
  owned 
  and 
  inherited. 
  The 
  local 
  groups 
  had 
  chiefs, 
  

   and 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  this 
  office 
  was 
  inherited 
  in 
  the 
  male 
  line. 
  Chiefs 
  of 
  

   various 
  units 
  kept 
  in 
  touch 
  with 
  each 
  other 
  and 
  frequently 
  joined 
  in 
  

   loose 
  confederacies. 
  In 
  fact, 
  there 
  is 
  every 
  indication 
  that 
  the 
  High- 
  

   land 
  tribes 
  were 
  well 
  on 
  their 
  way 
  to 
  state 
  organization 
  and 
  sharper 
  

   class 
  distinctions. 
  However, 
  the 
  historical 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  widespread 
  

   Car 
  a 
  Empire 
  is 
  no 
  longer 
  acceptable. 
  

  

  