EQUATOR INTEGRATION PERIOD: ORIGIN AND CHARACTERISTICS - HISTORY - 2025

The Integration Period of Ecuador was a stage in Ecuadorian history dating back to 500 AD. C. and 1500 d. During the previous period, that of Regional Development, the peoples that inhabited that territory had begun to increase their social and political development, with differences appearing between the various regions.

These towns were evolving in their organization, giving rise to the ethnic dominions, characteristic of the Integration Period. These lordships were a type of society that, although they cannot be assimilated to the current States, they did represent a great change given the administrative and political complexity they presented.

Manteña Crafts - Source: Marsupium

During the integration period there were several important cultures. In general lines, historians differentiate between those that settled on the coasts and those that inhabited the mountains of the country. Among the most important, the Manteños and the Huancavilcas stood out.

This period saw cultivation techniques improve, which led to an increase in the population. Similarly, metallurgy based on copper was developed and trade routes were established at much greater distances than until then.

Origin

During the time before the Integration Period, the societies that inhabited the current territory of Ecuador began to group themselves into larger socio-political organizations. These communities, in addition, increased the social hierarchy.

Period of Regional Development or Agrominero

The Period prior to Integration was the so-called Regional Development Period. This started around 500 BC and lasted for 1000 years.

During this stage, the existing societies were acquiring a greater degree of political organization until reaching autonomous developments depending on the geographical area. Those regional differences are clearly visible in their artistic expressions.

On the other hand, one of the most striking characteristics of this period was the appearance of differentiated works. In this way, each individual began to specialize in a specific task, from agriculture to commerce, passing through priests or potters.

The most important cultures of this period were the Jambelí, the Guangala, the Tejar-Daule, La Tolita or, in the sierra area, those of Cerro Narrío and Alausí.

Step to the Integration Period

Existing cultures continued to increase the complexity of their societies. Little by little, each community expanded its influence to larger territories and they were organized in an increasingly hierarchical way.

The evolution of these cultures also reached artisan techniques, such as metallurgy or textiles. Likewise, they were expanding the distances when it came to trading or exchanging products.

characteristics

Historians date this period to around 500 AD and 1500 BC. The big difference between this stage and the previous one was that human communities began to take advantage of the environment to improve their living conditions instead of just adapting to what it offered.

In addition to this, the appearance of long-distance trade routes, both land and sea, was also remarkable. This fact, possibly, favored the appearance of coins to carry out commercial exchanges.

Ethnic lordships

The ethnic manors were the most typical form of organization during this period of Ecuadorian history. They also receive the names of chiefdoms or curacazgos and could give rise to cities, states or confederations.

The societies of these manors were of a cacical and hierarchical type. In this way, they were based on the recognition of the rank of each lineage, with a chief dominating each community.

The manors presented various forms of organization, although they used to be grouped by alliance or through the wars they maintained between them.

Broadly speaking, it is worth mentioning the ayllus, which were the smallest units. They were governed by the chiefs or principals. After this, were the llactacunas, commanded by the lesser caciques. Lastly, there were the senior caciques, who had authority over regions.

Historians point out that these manors were not, strictly speaking, states as they are known today. However, they did have a complex political organization.

Normally, the members of these communities belonged to the same ethnic group and maintained some territorial control. The chieftain, in order to govern and maintain the stability of the manor, had to be recognized by all the inhabitants.

Most important ethnic lordships

The most important ethnic manors settled in the richest areas of the country, either on the coasts or in the mountains. Among them, the Manteños stand out, the last of the pre-Columbian cultures on the Ecuadorian coast. Its inhabitants developed very elaborate techniques to work gold and silver.

Another important manor was that of the Huancavilcas, also located on the coast of Ecuador. When the Spaniards arrived, they were impressed by his warrior skills, as well as his habit of deforming the skull and extracting some teeth.

Finally, the Caranquis-Cayambe also stood out; it was a diaarchic state, with two different capitals.

In addition to these three lordships, others also stood out, such as the Milagro-Quevedo culture, the Yumbos and the Kitus.

Economic organization

The economic bonanza of the ethnic manors was based, in the first place, on knowing perfectly the resources offered by the environment that surrounded them. Its inhabitants had to make the most of their natural environment and make optimal use of their workforce.

Most of the commercial exchanges were local, with routes that did not last more than one or two days, including the return. However, this does not mean that they did not also develop a longer distance trade. They used to use barter, although it seems that a primitive system of currencies was started.

One of the points that, according to the experts, was fundamental for the population to grow and, with it, the urban centers, was the increase in agricultural production through new techniques.

Crafts

As with agriculture, handicraft activities also benefited from technical improvements. These were applied to the production of textiles, with the use of cotton, in lapidary and in metallurgy.

Within this last activity, more objects began to be manufactured, both utilitarian and decorative. Normally, they used copper or gold and silver alloys as materials.

Trade routes

As noted above, most of the trade routes were proximity. However, there is evidence of long-distance routing, both by land and by sea.

For this last area, the manors built large rafts that allowed them to transport their products to places as far away as Peru or Mexico.

Gradual disappearance of borders

Another characteristic of the Integration Period was the gradual disappearance of the borders. First, this occurred among the smaller groups. Later, the integration between these cultures and the Inca Empire took place.

The arrival of the Spanish changed this whole process. Some lordships helped the conquerors fight the Incas, while others fought them.

References

1. Educate. History of Ecuador. Recovered from educar.ec
2. Ontaneda Luciano, Santiago. Ecuador Original Societies 2. Recovered from books.google.es
3. Cultural diffusion. Integration Period (800 AD - 1535 AD). Obtained from efemerides.ec
4. Homero Pozo Vélez, Murdo J. MacLeod. Ecuador. Retrieved from britannica.com
5. Quito Adventure. Aboriginal History. Retrieved from quitoadventure.com
6. All Ecuador and More. History of Ecuador. Retrieved from alleximorandmore