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Ecuador

Real Alto

Ecuadorian site with plazas and mounds.

Time Periods

Paleolithic

Paleolithic

Mesolithic

Mesolithic

Neolithic

Neolithic

Chalcolithic

Chalcolithic

Bronze Age

Bronze Age

Iron Age

Iron Age

Classical Period

Classical Period

Post-Classical Period

Post-Classical Period

Early Modern Period

Early Modern Period

Industrial Period

Industrial Period

Contemporary Period

Contemporary Period

About

Real Alto is an archaeological site located in the Chanduy Valley of Ecuador, nestled between the cities of Guayaquil and Salinas. Occupied from approximately 6000 to 3800 BCE, this site serves as a critical link between the Las Vegas and Valdivia cultures, filling a significant chronological gap in local prehistory. By around 2500 BCE, during the Valdivia culture phase, Real Alto was a burgeoning town with a population of around 1,250 people. It featured distinctive architectural elements such as two plazas and two ceremonial mounds, indicating a complex social and ritual life. The site also provides insight into early agricultural practices, with evidence of crops like Calathea allouia. Real Alto is pivotal in understanding the transition and cultural developments in this region of South America.

Archaeological Features

Explore the unique architectural and cultural elements found at this historical site

Public and Civic Structures

Plazas

Religious and Ritual Structures

Ceremonial Platforms

Agricultural and Land Use Features

Gardens

Domestic and Habitation Structures

Towns

Historical Timeline

Journey through time and discover key events in this site's archaeological history

Plan Your Visit

Details

Country
Ecuador
Source
Wikipedia