Archaeological literature has largely ignored Ecuador because it is caught between two major cultural phenomena: the monumental architecture of Peru in the south and the metallurgical riches of Colombia in the north. Major ecological phenomena converge on the northern Andes: the cold Humboldt stream mingles with El Niño's warm currents, creating an environment for various cultures which drew nourishment from the rich fauna and flora.
This special environment has been exploited by human groups from very early on who developed a culture based on kinship, supervised by a religious authority. This formed the core of an ideological superstructure that became a "cultural story", which spread from western Mexico as far as Peru and gave rise to trade in sacred shells. In the process, the peoples of present-day Ecuador became the Argonauts of the Pacific.
In the Andean highlands, people tried to adapt to their milieu by inventing new techniques and took advantage of their environment to develop new types of materials. In particular, they managed to make a gold and copper alloy known as "tumbaga" because of the fortuitous physical and climatic conditions - they found places where the force of the winds converged naturally to establish efficient workshops and thus produce new metalwork.
More than 350 illustrations bring to life this mosaic of peoples and their land.
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