MACHALILLA CULTURE: CHARACTERISTICS, LOCATION, ECONOMY, ART - HISTORY - 2025

The c ulture Machalilla was a pre - Columbian civilization that inhabited areas of the current Ecuador. It was located both on the coasts and in the interior of the south of that country and had many similarities with the Valdivia culture.

Although there is no total consensus on its dating, the remains found suggest that this culture was present between 1500 BC. Until 1100 a. Some authors, however, claim that it was more durable, reaching up to 800 BC.

Source: By Germanam94, via Wikimedia Commons

The Machalilla based their food and economy on agriculture, with important areas of corn, yucca or cotton. To this they added what was contributed by hunting and, especially, fishing.

Within his artistic production, his work with ceramics and the use of paint to decorate stand out. They were the first people in America to make bottles with human shapes and with motifs that reflected everyday life.

There is not much data on their religion, although it is thought that they worshiped figures of nature such as the Sun. One of the peculiarities that have been discovered in the sites is that they used to bury the dead inside the houses.

characteristics

The Machalilla culture is considered one of the continuation of the Valdivia tradition. Both occupied almost the same area of ​​current Ecuador and the influence is clear in the discoveries made.

Likewise, Machalilla greatly influenced the towns located in neighboring areas, such as the Ecuadorian highlands or the Amazon. Similarly, experts consider that their influence reached some far more distant territories.

In this sense, evidence has been found that the Machalilla maintained relations with peoples of Western Mexico. In Colima, for example, where the Capacha culture lived, vessels very similar to those made by the Machalilla were found.

Historians also point out that the relationship was important with the peoples settled on the coast of Peru. Many affirm that the existence of cultural exchanges between Tutishcainyo and Machalilla is clear.

Discovery

The discoverers of the Machalilla culture were Emilio Estrada and Julio Viteri Gamboa. The discovery took place in 1958 and, at first, it was thought to be an extension of Valdivia, as well as the antecedent of La Chorrera.

The sites soon made it clear that this culture, despite the great influence of Valdivia, had had an autonomous development within the so-called Middle Formative period.

Lifestyle

Data on the Machalilla way of life are scarce, so historians can only make assumptions. In general, it is assumed that it must have been very similar to that of the Valdivia culture. If you know for sure, for example, the high quality you achieved in working with ceramics.

Among the data provided by the archaeological finds, the certainty that they practiced the deformation of the skulls stands out. It is a characteristic that was also reflected in the different anthropomorphic ceramic figures. The reasons are supposed to oscillate between aesthetics and as indicative of the individual's social position.

North American archaeologists found two skeletons in 1962 that provided numerous data to understand how this practice was carried out. The deformation was always in one direction, vertical and occipital.

To achieve this, since it was proven that it had been done in the life of individuals, they must have started during early childhood, when the subjects have the most moldable skull.

Clothing

The style of clothing in the Machalilla culture has been studied a lot, something that has helped the comparison with the traditional costumes of the indigenous people today.

Thus, it has been concluded that the garments were very diverse, with necklaces made with seeds and a turban that covered the women's heads.

Experts argue that designs contain a great diversity of colors. The men wore a wayuu, held with a belt at the waist and that was woven by themselves. It seems that, on special occasions, they wore a colored crown on their head.

There is some evidence that seems to point to the use of skirts below the knee in women, who were also in charge of making these garments. During the ceremonies different costumes were seen, with differences between the different social classes.

Ornaments

Along with clothing, it is known that the Machavilla liked to use various types of ornaments. Among the most common are bracelets, necklaces, kisses or nose rings. The latter used to be highly appreciated by all the cultures of the area.

Society

The most widespread theory is that Machalilla was, at first, an egalitarian society. However, it evolved over time, becoming hierarchical and specialized. The latter was especially evident at work, which, in turn, led to a social hierarchy.

At the same time that this internal evolution occurred, so did the relationships between the different communications. Little by little, there was a greater degree of political unity between them, creating one of the first chiefdoms in South America.

Households

The houses of the Machalilla culture have been described from the discoveries of various archaeologists, especially those made in Salango, a true mine for specialists.

From the analysis of the remains found there, it is deduced that the houses were rectangular in shape. Likewise, they were found to be built on stilts and not built directly on the ground.

Another interesting aspect about the houses is the custom of the Machalillas to bury their dead in the lower part of them, something, without a doubt, that must have had some kind of spiritual meaning.

Feeding

The basis of the diet of the settlements of these communities was agriculture. Cereal crops, such as corn or chili, provided the quantities necessary for their subsistence. Likewise, they began to practice horticulture.

A good part of their settlements were located near the mangroves and their inhabitants took advantage of the natural resources that they provided. Fishing became the second activity that provided them the most food.

They used the shells, shrimp and crabs to catch fish close to shore, while it appears that they were able to handle boats to reach more distant waters and catch tuna or billfish. Finally, the Machalillas also hunted animals in the forests.

Location

The pre-Columbian culture of Machalilla had its main settlement area in the coastal area of ​​what is now Ecuador. More specifically, in the south of the Manabí province, in the north of Guayas and in the Santa peninsula. These are arid or semi-arid areas, but with fertile territories further inland.

In the temporal sphere there are some difficulties in establishing the dating. In general, it is located between 1800 BC and 900 BC. C, there are authors who delay their disappearance until 800 BC The great problem that arises in this regard is to find a method to determine when a culture ends.

Two of the most recognized archaeologists for their studies on the Machalilla, Betty Meggers and Clifford Evans, established that this culture was altered by contacting other Mesoamerican communities that ended up mixed with the Chorrera culture.

Settlement pattern

As in other aspects related to this culture, not much evidence of the settlements of this culture has been found. The most accepted opinion is that they should have followed the tradition of the Valdivia culture. Thus, it is thought that they must have lived in localities made up of oval-plan houses, with cane walls and thatched roofs.

Altogether, although it cannot be stated one hundred percent, it is considered that they formed residential complexes, reaching a considerable size.

Economy

The Machalilla culture was also greatly influenced in this field by that of Valdivia. The economy was mixed, with a large presence of agriculture and natural resources.

According to the experts, they came to develop certain irrigation technology, achieving advances in this sense superior to those of the peoples that preceded them.

Fishing

The members of this culture did not only live off agriculture. Animal husbandry, hunting and, above all, fishing, were also important resources in its economy and food. The products of the sea and the fluvial axes played an important role in their subsistence.

An important advance was the ability to reach waters far from the coast. This allowed them to expand their range of catches, incorporating large fish such as tuna.

Art

One of the aspects that characterizes the Machalilla culture is the great quality and variety of its artistic creations, especially those made with ceramics. This led to many other communities, both neighboring and more distant, having an influence.

Their work used to represent their daily experiences and they were pioneers in some types of pieces such as anthropomorphic bottles.

Ceramics

The contributions made by this culture in the field of ceramics were many and important. The human forms that they gave to many containers, in which the potter captured his own image or represented his social group, were especially outstanding.

So far, the sites have provided information about the existence of up to 23 forms of containers, with their corresponding variations. Among these shapes are bowls, pots, plates, bottles with a high cylindrical spout, and bottles with a stirrup handle.

The Machalillas outperformed Valdivia by working with finer pottery. They gave their creations a highly elaborate exterior finish, consisting of a red slip.

Other pieces show that they used low-fire burning techniques, resulting in a black surface that was later decorated.

As for the figurines, those with a round face and a prominent, aquiline nose were common. From these figures comes the concept of eyes "coffee beans", since they placed a ball of clay with a horizontal incision to represent that part of the face.

Bottles, paint and handle-stirrup

This culture was a pioneer on the continent in the manufacture of human-shaped bottles. The motifs represented were people in different conditions: conditions: men and women, obese and thin, pregnant, etc.

On the other hand, the use of paint to decorate all his creations was very popular. They used to paint black bands among other white ones. This paint is applied to the vessels, which had a highly polished surface.

Another of the findings of its artists was the stirrup handle. This creation ended up being widely used by different American cultures.

Metallurgy

Although less known than ceramics, metallurgy also had its place in the Machalilla culture. The most used materials were gold, silver and copper, which were rolled and cut. Earrings, earrings and other body adornments have been recovered.

Music

As a common feature with other pre-Columbian cultures, music was very important in ceremonies and rituals. Despite this, there is no evidence to show a major development in instrument making.

The most common were shells, very simple vertical flutes made of bone and the first whistle bottles with stirrup handles, perhaps the only instrument that represented a novelty. In fact, those first whistle bottles underwent an important evolution from later cultures.

Religion

Historians have not found enough information to discover what the religion of the Machalilla Culture was like. According to the little evidence, taken from women's graves, these had an important role in religious organizations.

The most widespread belief is that they worshiped elements of nature, such as the Sun, but their rituals or the background of their beliefs are not known.

Burials

As already noted above, many burials were made in the lower part of the houses. Some bodies have very bent legs, although others have appeared with evidence of having been dismembered.

It is thought that the corpses were first deposited in another place and, later, transported to their final location. Some authors point out that they were able to practice cannibalism.

Likewise, it is believed that the deceased were buried accompanied by a rich trousseau. Unfortunately the vast majority appear to have been looted in recent times.

References

1. Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art. Machalilla. Obtained from precolombino.cl
2. Encyclopedia of Ecuador. Machalilla culture. Obtained from encyclopediadelecuador.com
3. Let's talk about Cultures. Machalilla Culture: History, Origin, Characteristics, and much more. Obtained from hablemosdeculturas.com
4. Revolvy. Machalilla culture. Retrieved from revolvy.com
5. Mero Hernández, Carolina. Pre-Columbian Cultures of Ecuador. Retrieved from arsartisticadventureofmankind.wordpress.com
6. Wikipedia. Machalilla culture. en.wikipedia.org