Late archaeological settlements of the integration period in the Chimbo River Basin- Ecuador

Abstract

This article examines late archaeological settlements of the Integration Period in the Chimbo River Basin, Ecuador. The study highlights the cultural homogeneity observed in pre-Hispanic times across the western region of the Central Sierra, evidenced by numerous archaeological sites associated with a singular cultural unit identified during the Paleo-Indian and Formative Project. The research notes that this cultural unity was disrupted first by Incan expansion and later by Spanish conquest, leading to a heterogeneous social environment in the late Inca period, as documented in historical accounts of the Chimbo Ethnicity. This paper aims to present the archaeological record of pre-Hispanic sites and their material culture, providing typological analysis to correlate with ethnohistorical studies of regional parcialidades or ayllus. The study emphasizes the need for systematic research to address gaps due to ongoing looting, focusing on ceramics and environmental factors to reconstruct cultural homogeneity and interaction across ecological zones.