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The reconstruction of cultural development presented here would 
have been impossible 10 years ago. At that time most work had been 
undertaken in the highlands. The coast was known chiefly from pur- 
chased collections representing the late cultures, and from brief re- 
ports of surveys and limited excavations. Only rarely was chronology 
based on stratigraphic evidence, and no absolute dates were available. 
Today, the situation is reversed ; dozens of stratigraphic excavations, 
hundreds of surface collections, hundreds of thousands of classified 
potsherds, and numerous carefully excavated grave lots, provide the 
basis for the coastal chronology, substantiated by a dozen carbon-14 
dates and several hundred obsidian dates (Estrada, 1962, Cuadro 
4—5 ; Evans and Meggers, 1960, table 1 and fig. 19) . In addition to 
providing a chronological framework, this research has produced 
evidence that early man on this part of the South American coast was 
not as isolated from the rest of the world as he was once thought to 
be. 
The picture of cultural development that is beginning to emerge is 
relatively clear and simple, and we are not sure whether this is be- 
cause of a unique interplay of environmental and cultural factors, or 
because of the almost unique circumstances surrounding the recon- 
struction. From the beginning of intensive fieldwork in 1954, a single 
theoretical point of view has prevailed. We have looked for interrela- 
tionships, major chronological innovations, broad generalizations. We 
have emphasized similarities rather than differences between sites and 
complexes. Whether this has made the picture appear simpler than it 
really is must be left for future work to decide. 
A chronological framework composed of four major periods best 
suits the cultural development of Ecuador (fig. 10). These have been 
termed: "Preceramic," ''Formative," "Regional Developmental,*' and 
"Integration." Spanning at least 1,000 years each, these periods are 
longer than those generally utilized in other areas. Each marks a ma- 
jor alteration in culture, and although there are differences and 
changes within each period, they are minor in comparison to the dis- 
tinctions between one period and the next. 
Preceramic Period. — Little is known of the prehistory of Ecuador 
prior to the introduction of pottery making. Lithic industries have 
been reported from the highlands, the best-known site being El Inga, 
in the vicinity of Quito (Bell, 1960; Mayer-Oakes and Bell, 1960). 
Obsidian artifacts, including projectile points and a wide variety of 
scrapers, appear to equate with late Paleo-Indian complexes coming 
to Hght with increasing frequency in other regions in the Americas. 
Shell middens occur on the margins of old bays along the Guayas 
