Professor Saville's Antiquities of Manabí and the study of the Caras civilization

Saville, Marshall Howard. 1907. The Antiquities of Manabi, Ecuador. (Contributions to South America Archaeology, vol. I, The George Heye Expedition). New York: Irving Press.

Abstract

Critical review of Marshall Saville's book on his archaeological explorations in Manabí, Ecuador. González de La Rosa discusses the nature of the famous stone "seats" of the Caras culture, proposing that they are actually portable altars for sacrifices to the Sun and the Moon, based on the iconography of the bas-reliefs found. The author analyzes the linguistic and cultural relationships of the Caras with other tribes, rejecting the use of Quechua in the region and suggesting connections with cultures in Colombia (San Agustín) and the coast. He recommends future excavations in sites like Tumbes and Santa Elena to clarify the history of the Caras and the quipocamayos (cord keepers).