TOLITA

La Tolita-Tumaco is the general name assigned to the archaeological phase or regional culture corresponding to the Late Formative and Early Regional Developmental Period in Esmeraldas Province (600 BC - AD 400). Work by Valdez (1986, 1987) outlines this regional culture and sequence (characterized by one of the most famous sites of coastal Ecuador, La Tolita) associated with similar remains throughout a long stretch of coastal territory extending from northern Esmeraldas to the southwestern coast of Colombia (Figure 25.1). This region covers the wettest of the coastal regions with mangrove swamps along the littoral and tropical forest extending inland.

La Tolita is situated in one of a series of islands in the mouth of the Rio Santiago. Saville (1910) described artificial mounds possibly arranged around plazas while others were scattered along the river bank. Recent research has focused on La Tolita Island and has detailed four stages with initial developments at 600-400 BC; the Transition to Classic La Tolita from 400-200 BC; the emergence of Classic La Tolita at 200-90 BC; and the decline of the center occurring at AD 350 (Valdez and Veintimilla 1992). The area of pre-Hispanic population

Figure 25.1. Map of Ecuador showing locations of modern coastal provinces, distribution of Regional Developmental Period cultural phases and archaeological sites referenced in the text.

Covers over 1 km2 including approximately 40 artificial mounds (tolas) in a range of sizes. According to Valdez, the remains in this core area describe a nucleated and dense population, which could be referred to as urban (Valdez 1987: 11). In addition to the impressive mounds and the extent of remains there is the high number of burials, primarily discovered through looting. The spectacular finds of ceramics, gold, silver, copper and stone ornaments of emerald, quartz and obsidian have fueled continued looting over the years. Valdez (1992) describes the island site as a major ceremonial center that developed out of the local Chorrera base. He argues that the center held sway over this area and should be regarded as an early chiefdom. Bouchard supports the assertion that the site was an important cultural, ceremonial and funerary center and also probably functioned as a social-political center that exercised hegemony from the island along the northern Ecuadorian littoral (1995: 75).

Notable in the material recovered at La Tolita is the use of exotic materials in the production of attire, utensils and figures which excavators associate with a complex cult.

Figurines and statuettes are thought to represent high-ranking personages as well as mythological beings (Figure 25.2). An important factor in examining the development, sequence

Figure 25.2. La Tolita figurine with human and feline attributes. From the collection of the Museo del Banco Central del Ecuador, Guayaquil (MBCG No. GA-35-1924-81; photograph from Valdez and Veintimilla 1992: fig. 125).

And nature of La Tolita-Tumaco may be the role gold played in the territorial expansion of the culture. According to Bouchard (1995: 79-80) the search for raw materials in the coastal region and western foothills is a likely explanation for colonization of the region. As for the decline of La Tolita society, Valdez cites diminishing returns in food production (Valdez 1986). But Bouchard affirms the need to examine other hypotheses based on different interpretations of the limits and challenges of the northern Ecuadorian littoral setting. For example, natural causes or social-political factors such as the rise of local power in colonized areas and subsequent loss of central power could have been factors (Bouchard 1995:78). This latter model would correspond with the sequence of coastal regional developments in other areas. In this model, La Tolita would represent a relatively short-term consolidation of power by one of many potential competing social groups. Similar consolidation occurred at times in other, although not all, adjacent regions.

Summarizing the sequence of the northern coast after the decline of La Tolita, Guinea (1995) describes the Tiaone Phase dated to AD 1-500 and characterized by dispersed houses of extended families, followed by a Transitional Phase from AD 500-700. She finds that the fall of La Tolita was significant enough to cause a depopulation or abandonment of the coast especially along the peripheries. These findings also match settlement histories for the southern coast Guangala Phase, which experienced a change in settlement at approximately the same period (Masucci 1992). It is not likely that changes in the southern Guayas area were directly due to the decline of La Tolita, but rather that the period from AD 500-800 marks a critical point in the cycles of development in coastal cultures which was transitional to complex hierarchical societies of the Integration Period.