Mayo-Chinchipe

Summary

The Mayo-Chinchipe culture existed from c. 5500 – 1700 BCE in the highlands of what is now Ecuador.[1][2]

ceremonial site of Montegrande in Peru showing a characteristic spiral construction

Location edit

It extended from the sources of Valladolid river, in the Podocarpus National Park in Ecuador, to where Chinchipe flows into the Marañon River in the area of Bagua, Peru, and received its name from the river names.[3]

Culture edit

The best known Mayo-Chinchipe site is Santa Ana (La Florida), where a temple and ceremonial hearth have been found.[2]

Also at Montegrande, related ceremonial centers were found. In the same general area, in Palanda, Ecuador (just across the border with Peru), a tomb was found with stone and ceramic artifacts, as well as cacao and Spondylus shells. Another related site is San Isidro, in Peru, close to Jaen (Jaen District), and in the same general area as Montegrande.

The culture is believed to have included shamanism and other specialist work roles.[4] It used stone and pottery technologies, and consumed cacao and possibly corn beer.[5]

Trading edit

The culture is believed to have traded plants with coastal cultures such as the Valdivia.

References edit

  1. ^ "The Mysterious Origins of Chocolate Just Got Pushed Back by 1,500 Years". sciencealert.com. Retrieved 2018-10-30.
  2. ^ a b UNESCO World Heritage Centre. "Mayo Chinchipe - Marañón archaeological landscape - UNESCO World Heritage Centre". whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2018-10-30.
  3. ^ Mayo-Chinchipe culture (Spanish) Archived 2014-11-29 at the Wayback Machine - Proyecto Zamora - Chinchipe
  4. ^ "Mayo-Chinchipe |". palanda.arqueo-ecuatoriana.ec. Archived from the original on 2018-10-30. Retrieved 2018-10-30.
  5. ^ "Origin of chocolate shifts 1,400 miles and 1,500 years | Science". The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-10-30.