﻿Part 
  4. 
  The 
  Northern 
  Andes 
  

   THE 
  AKCHEOLOGY 
  OF 
  ECUADOR 
  

  

  By 
  Donald 
  Collier 
  

  

  GEOGRAPHICAL 
  ENVIRONMENT 
  

  

  Ecuador, 
  like 
  Peru 
  to 
  the 
  south, 
  includes 
  three 
  distinct 
  regions: 
  

   the 
  Coast, 
  the 
  Sierra, 
  and 
  the 
  Oriente, 
  or 
  Montana— 
  the 
  jungle 
  region 
  

   to 
  the 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  Andes 
  (map 
  1, 
  No. 
  15). 
  With 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  arid 
  

   stretches 
  in 
  the 
  Provinces 
  of 
  Guayas 
  and 
  Manabi, 
  the 
  Coastal 
  region 
  

   is 
  humid 
  and 
  has 
  a 
  tropical 
  flora 
  and 
  fauna. 
  Although 
  ocean 
  winds 
  

   cool 
  the 
  land 
  a 
  few 
  kilometers 
  back 
  from 
  the 
  shore, 
  farther 
  inland 
  the 
  

   climate 
  is 
  hot. 
  The 
  Coastal 
  plain 
  is 
  cut 
  by 
  numerous 
  rivers 
  that 
  rise 
  

   in 
  the 
  well-watered 
  western 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  Andes. 
  Apparently 
  these 
  

   rivers 
  were 
  navigated 
  in 
  prehistoric 
  times 
  by 
  canoes 
  and 
  balsa 
  rafts, 
  

   as 
  they 
  are 
  today 
  by 
  motor 
  launches, 
  and 
  they 
  were 
  paths 
  of 
  contact 
  

   with 
  the 
  Sierra. 
  

  

  The 
  Highland 
  region 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  intermontane 
  valleys 
  

   lying 
  between 
  the 
  western 
  and 
  eastern 
  Andean 
  ranges, 
  and 
  separated 
  

   from 
  one 
  another 
  by 
  high 
  grass-covered 
  nudos 
  or 
  plateaus 
  which 
  often 
  

   rise 
  to 
  snow-covered 
  peaks. 
  These 
  valleys 
  average 
  2,500 
  meters 
  

   (about 
  8,000 
  ft.) 
  in 
  elevation, 
  and 
  have 
  a 
  cool 
  climate 
  and 
  a 
  moderate 
  

   rainfall. 
  Several 
  of 
  the 
  valleys 
  draining 
  to 
  the 
  west, 
  however, 
  notably 
  

   the 
  Guallabamba, 
  Jubones, 
  and 
  Catamayo, 
  are 
  considerably 
  lower 
  

   and 
  have 
  a 
  subtropical 
  climate 
  except 
  in 
  their 
  upper 
  reaches. 
  It 
  was 
  

   especially 
  by 
  way 
  of 
  these 
  latter 
  valleys, 
  apparently, 
  that 
  contacts 
  

   were 
  made 
  between 
  the 
  peoples 
  of 
  Highland 
  and 
  Coast. 
  

  

  The 
  eastern 
  jungle 
  is 
  humid 
  and 
  tropical, 
  and 
  is 
  drained 
  by 
  the 
  

   many 
  rivers 
  that 
  rise 
  in 
  the 
  Andes. 
  Travel 
  other 
  than 
  by 
  water 
  is 
  

   extremely 
  difficult, 
  and 
  probably 
  in 
  prehistoric 
  times 
  settlements 
  

   were 
  confined 
  largely 
  to 
  areas 
  near 
  the 
  rivers, 
  as 
  is 
  the 
  case 
  today. 
  

  

  NATIVE 
  TRIBES 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  Inca 
  conquest 
  of 
  Ecuador 
  during 
  the 
  latter 
  half 
  

   of 
  the 
  14th 
  century, 
  the 
  principal 
  mountain 
  valleys 
  were 
  inhabited, 
  

   according 
  to 
  early 
  Spanish 
  sources, 
  by 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  distinct 
  tribal 
  

   groups. 
  These 
  were, 
  beginning 
  in 
  the 
  north, 
  the 
  Pasto, 
  Cava, 
  Pan- 
  

   zaleo 
  (Quito), 
  Tungurahua, 
  Puruhd, 
  Canari, 
  and 
  Palta. 
  On 
  the 
  

  

  595682—46 
  51 
  767 
  

  

  