The salt of Otavalo-Ecuador indigenous continuities and colonial ruptures

Abstract

This article presents some information and some ideas about exploitation and distribution of salt at the level of a specialized town, The Salinas, belonging to the ethnic group of Otavalo to the north of the Audiencia of Quito, in the sixteenth century and aims to provide some details on the fate of said people over the centuries. Starting from a key product for indigenous society such as salt, it is possible to discover certain elements of its economic organization, original since it resembles those observed in pre-Hispanic Peru and Colombia: The exploitation is carried out through the system As a multi-ethnic island, distribution takes place through a complex network of intra- and inter-ethnic exchanges.