Artwork from Ancient Ecuador Group A

GBD MICROSITE: INDIGENOUS  ARTWORK FROM ANCIENT ECUADOR

Artwork from Ancient Ecuador–Group A

Above: Masked Dancers

A Brief History of Ecuador

Paleoindian Period: 11,000 B.C. – 4,000 B.C.

Ecuador’s coast has served as a fertile home for humans for thousands of years. Archeologists have uncovered the oldest examples of figurines from the Americas in the coastal town of Valdivia. Valdivians lived during the Paleoindian period, from 11,000 B.C. – 4,000 B.C. Small figurines, with prominent breasts and stippled bodies, represent some of the earliest artistic endeavors in Ecuador. Around 6,000 B.C., the cultivation of corn began on Ecuador’s Santa Elena peninsula. This agricultural progress paved the way for a multitude of tribes on Ecuador’s coast.*

Please use the thumbnail gallery below to navigate to other artifacts of the ancient Ecuadorians. Site credits are below the gallery.

*A Brief History of Ecuador is from Anywhere Ecuador. The Images: All images and descriptions are taken from the book “Indian Designs from Ancient Ecuador” by Frederick W. Shafer. Learn more about the book here. Artwork Colors: The artwork has been colorized by Granite Bay Design from the original black and white versions. What the Artwork Shows: The wide bands above show the bead artwork flattened out. Next to that is what the bead looks like with the pattern applied. Finally, there is a small circle containing a black and white version of the bead at actual size. About the Author: The author of the book, Frederick W. Shaffer, took great care in reproducing the artwork as it was originally rendered. Learn more about that here.