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Hall of Archaeology at the National Museum of Central
Bank
The first permanent inhabitants of present Ecuador settled this territories
ca. 12000 B.C. Their origin is similar to that of other American peoples,
who probably came to America from Asia through the Bering Strait in more
ancient times; from there they expanded southwards.
From the beginning, the native American peoples were characterized by
a religious vocation which was expressed through the construction of ceremonial
centers such as that at real Alto and those located in the Islands of
La Tolita and La Plata. The pottery and the metallurgy attained a high
level of artistic and technological development associated with religious
practices. These peoples succeeded in materializing, through the creation
of remarkable masks and figures, a world view founded on a deep knowledge
of nature and a great respect towards its rules.
Two cultural expressions symbolize, among others, this stage of our history.
The shell scientifically known as Spondylus princeps was a sought-after
product from the Eastern Pacific. This precious ancestor of the American
coin was also the typical ceremonial offering. The basketmen or mindaláes
were intrepid merchants who travelled, by land sea, throughout Pre-Columbian
America, thereby contributing to the cultural exchange and integration
in the continent.
The Hall of Archaeology at the National Museum of Central Bank is the
result of a detailed scientific study and an accurate selection of the
large collections preserved by our institution. These vestiges, created
by skillful unknown hands, embody the origins of our nation. The study
and the contemplation of this treasure reveal to us the characteristics
of a present past and the roots of destiny as a country.
The Precolumbian Past of Ecuador
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