Valdivia

Formative Period
4500 B.C.E. – 2500 B.C.E.

Valdivia was located in Guayas and Manabí in the north, and their vestiges reached El Oro Province to the south. This was one of the first human settlements to integrate agriculture into daily life, the products of which constituted an important part of the population’s diet. These products were complemented with hunting, fishing and the collection of vegetables and mollusks.

Some inhabitants lived in populous centers while others were dispersed throughout the countryside. For the construction of their houses they took advantage of the vegetation that surrounded them.

The inhabitants of Valdivia were the first human groups in what is now Ecuador to develop ceramics, examples of which have been found in multiple forms. They employed a technique of joining rolls of clay through which they achieved a unity of material to create form and to decorate in distinct ways. Stone, shell and bone figures were also made in Valdivia.

You can view this piece and more like it in our Quito Museum. Purchase your own unique Ecuadorian art in one of our 5 shops in mainland Ecuador and the Galapagos during your next Ecuador tour. If you are interested in learning more about Ecuadorian culture and the history of Ecuador, please visit our Art in Ecuador page for many great articles about each region’s artisans and arts.