|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
Ecuador is not only an
exceptional nature experience (as you might have gathered from the
previous pages) but also boasts of a rich and varied culture,
past and present. The
story begins some 14 000 years
ago with the first humans arriving in our region. Over the
millennia distinct
ethnic groups with their own
culture and language arose in the many varied geographical
regions of the country. Those first nations achieved a high
cultural level
in agriculture, politics, astronomy and many other areas. |
|
 |
|
In
the small coastal town of Valdivia in southwestern
Ecuador are the oldest archaeological findings of any culture
known in South America. It dates back to around 3500 BC and the quality of their ceramics
is already astounding. Especially interesting are the Venus figurines
which are exhibited in the
village's museum. It is always amazing
to recognize that
cultures, which never were in contact, expressed their world view in such similar
ways as in the case of the Venus cult. This shows the relatedness of all
earth's people and its convergent cultural evolutions. Other findings on
the coast, Amazon and in the Andes show later cultures
improving on the earlier ceramics and creating artworks in precious
metals and stones. A special mention goes to the people of La Tolita
in Esmeraldas, a culture which flourished from 600 BC to 400 AD and is
famous for their
artistry in gold. |
|
|
|
|
In the second
half of the 15th century a
great cultural upheaval began with the conquest of the various
Ecuadorian territories by the foreign Incas. They forced
on the newly occupied people their native tongue Quechua and
religion. Their strict authoritarian government punished any
uprising but they also offered efficient administration, grain storage, construction
of roads, irrigation canals and large building complexes. The
Inca reign ended in Ecuador in 1534 when the Spanish Conquistadores
led by Sebastian de Benalcazar finally defeated the last great Inca
General Rumiñahui near Quito. |
|
|
Ingapirca is Ecuador's pre-eminent
Inca
heritage site and is located in the southern Andes near Cuenca. It
boasts of an intact building, the Temple of the Sun or Castillo.
It was erected in an elliptical form, coinciding with the movement of the sun.
This complex was mostly a ceremonial site, used for worship
of the sun and astronomy, important aspects of the Inca's cosmology. It
was built upon an older Cañari religious site.
The Cañari nation was conquered by the
Incas after
a long and hard fight in the decade of 1470. |
|
 |
|
|
|
Cultural Upheaval brought
by the Spaniards was many times greater as that done by the
foreign Incas. Unknown technological advances, a complete
different religion and way of thinking were introduced by the
Europeans. For centuries indigenous people were treated as
second class citizens and their own heritage suppressed. The Spaniards founded
major
towns where Spanish culture
flourished but over time the two distinctive cultures merged into one, a still
ongoing process with the defeated indigenous values gaining
ground nowadays. Former slaves settled in Esmeraldas and their
unique culture further enriched the cultural landscape as did in
later years immigrants from all over the world. |
|
|
Modern Art
is a mixture of the many different cultural
influences in the country. From the early indigenous art impressions to
Spanish traditions and finally global influences, an unique
Ecuadorian art scene evolved. Its most famous protagonist was
Guayasamin, a painter with indigenous
roots who died a decade ago.
Apart from painting Ecuadorians achieved
international renown in arquitecture and literature. A small but
thriving film and music industry is also part of the cultural scene. |
|
 |
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
