Ancient Cultural Contacts between Ecuador, West Mexico, and the

Transcription

ANCIENT CULTURAL CONTACTS BETWEEN ECUADOR,
WEST MEXICO, AND THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST:
CLOTHING SIMILARITIES
PatriciaRieffAnawalt
Clothingstyles, design motifsyand techniquesof clothproductionfound in codex illustrationsand on pottery
and extant textilefragmentssuggestdiffusionof culturetraitsfrom the northerncoast of SouthAmericato West
Mexico and on into the AmericanSouthwest. The non-mesoamericangarments depictedin a West Mexican
sixteenth-centurymanuscriptand on mortuaryfigurinesburiedmorethan *,000 yearsearlierin an adjacentarea
findanalogsonly in stylesthat werepresentin Ecuadorfrom1500 B.C. upto the time of Spanishcontact.Clothing
and textiledesign motifsrepresentedon figuresfound in the WestMexicanshaft tombsof Ixtlan del Rzo)Nayarit,
indicatethat theseparallelsexistedas earlyas 400 B.C. A varietyof otherdata suggestthat intermittentmaritime
contactpersistedbetweenEcuadorand WestMexico throughthe interveningperiodand into the sixteenthcentury.
El estilo del vestido,los disenosdecorativosy las tecnicasde produccionilustradosen los codices,la ceramica
y enfragmentosde teVidossugierenla difusionde elementosculturalesde la costa nortede Sudamericaa la parte
oeste de Mexico y al suroestede los Estados Unidos. Los trajesde origen no-mesoamericanoilustradosen un
manuscritodel siglo dieciseis,provenientedel oestede Mexico,y los mostradosen figuritasdepositadasen tumbas
mas de un milenio antes, tienen analog7asolo con los estilos del vestidopresentesen Ecuadordesde 1500 A.C.
hasta el momentodel contactocon los Espanoles.La ropay los disenosdecorativosrepresentadosen las tumbas
enforma de tota de Ixtlan del Rlo, en Nayarit,indicanque estosparalelosexistlan tan tempranocomo 400 A.C.
Otra informaciondiversasugiere qalehubieronpersistentescontactosmarltimosentre el Ecuadory el oeste de
Mexico durantetodo este perlodoy que continuaronhasta el siglo dieciseis.
A numberoftraits common to PrehispanicnorthernSouth Americaand West Mexico-probably
the resultof seabornediffusion-have been identifiedby variousscholars:shafttombs and mortuary
offierings(Kan et al. 1989);ceramic objects and techniques(Evansand Meggers1966; Grove 1981:
391, 1982; Lathrap1966, 1975:53-61; Pina Chan 1989:33-38); metallurgy(Hosler 1988; Hosler et
al. 1990); design motifs (Meighan 1969); and language(Swadesh 1967).
One can even see evidence for such contactin the extraordinarydistributionof two closely related
species of birds, one of which appearsto have been introducedinto West Mexico in ancient times
(Haemig 1979). The paintedjay, Cyanocorax dickeyi, is a brightlyhued, blue bird inhabitinga tiny
193-x-32-km range in a mountainousregion of western Mexico, located in the states of Nayarit,
Sinaloa, and Durango. It appears nowhere else in North or Central America; its taxonomically
closest relative, the white-tailedjay (Cyanocorax mystacalis), is known only in the coastal regions
of Ecuadorand northernPeru. These two birds are separatedby a distance of 4,000 km,l making
the painted jay's distribution one of the most isolated and unusual in the Western Hemisphere
(Haemig 1979). A feasible explanationfor this anomaly is importationvia seabornetrade.
To the above list of similaritiessharedby northernSouth Americaand West Mexico, this article
adds a furthertrait, clothing.
PICTORIALEVIDENCEFOR ECUADOR-WEST MEXICOCONTACT
TarascanClothing:Sixteenth Century
The investigationwas originallytriggeredby garmentinconsistenciesdepictedin an earlycolonial
codex that originatedin the highlandsof West Mexico (Figure 1). The Relacion de Michoacanwas
PatriciaRief Anawalt,Centerfor the Studyof RegionalDress,FowlerMuseumof CulturalHistory,University
of California,Los Angeles, CA 90024
Latin American Antiquity, 3(2), 1992, pp. 1 14-129.
Copyright C) 1992 by the Society for American Archaeology
114
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[Anawalt]
ANCIENT CULTURALEXCHANGES
115
Figure 1. Map of West Mexico showingareas underdiscussion.
compiled between 1539 and 1541 by the SpanishmissionaryFrayJeronimode Alcalaworkingwith
Tarascaninformantsand native artists.The documentdealswith the Prehispanicsocial and religious
institutions of the Tarascankingdom's ruling class (Freddolino 1973). The clothing shown in the
Relacion is distinct from Prehispanicclothing known for all other areas of Mesoamerica(Anawalt
1981).
Whereasthe Tarascans'mesoamericanmale neighborsall wore long, wrap-aroundloincloths and
rectangularcapes (Anawalt 1981:210), Tarascanmen are shown in short breeches (Figure 2) and
tunic-like shirts (Figure 3), often checked (Figure4). Mesoamericanfemales of the centralplateau
were modestly clad in long, wrap-aroundskirtsand huipilor quechquemitl(Anawalt 1981:213),but
Tarascanwomen are depicted in tight, short, checked skirts worn either with a tiny mini-mantle
over one shoulder(see Figure 3) or completely topless. This scanty apparelis particularlypuzzling
becausethe Tarascanheartlandis locatedat an elevation of 2,100-2,700 m, wherefrostsarecommon
from November to March.The strangenessof Tarascanattiredid not go unnoticedby theirenemies.
The Aztecs scoffedat the Tarascanmen for wearingwomen's huipiles,and recordedtheir aberrant
attire in several pictorials(e.g., Codex Telleriano-Remensis[CoronaNunes 1964:f. 25v]).
These garments,worn by the Tarascansat the time of Spanish contact, were completely unlike
those of the rest of Mesoamericabut almost identicalto clothingworn over a thousandyearsearlier
116
LATIN AMERICANANTIQUITY
[Vol. 3, No. 2, 1992
Figure 2. The Tarascan males' short breeches and tunic-like shirt (from Relacion
de Michoacan 1956:158
[lamina XXV]). Courtesy Aguilar, S.A., Madrid.
in West Mexico and Ecuador. In the West Mexican case, the Tarascan-like
apparel is depicted on
mortuary offieringsdiscovered at the bottom of a group of deep-shaft tombs similar to
those along
the northwest coast of South America (Long 1967) but foreign to Mesoamerica.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FOR ECUADOR-WEST MEXICO CONTACT
Ixtlan del Rlo Clothing: 400 B. C.-A.D. 400
The large, hollow, terra-cotta figurines found at the site of Ixtlan del Rio, Nayarit
(see Figure 1)
date from associated shell material to 400 B.C.-A.D. 400 (Kan et al. 1989:69),
over a millennium
Figure3. Tarascanmales' tunic-likeshirt and females'tight, short skirt and mini-mantle.
Alse visible are
non-mesoamerican
basket-handlevessels with teapot spouts (from Relacion de Michoacan 1956:207 llamina
XXXVIIl).
CourtesyAguilar,S.A., Madrid.
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Figure4. In additionto the checkedshirts discussedin the text, this illustrationis also noteworthyfor the
presenceof elbowpipesandemphasison smallstools, bothatypicalof Mesoamerica(fromRelacionde Michoacan
1956:11llaminaIIl). CourtesyAguilar,S.A., Madrid.
Figure 5. Large clay figure of a female wearing a geometric-patterned skirt, mini-mantle, and multiple earrings.
Ixtlan del Rio (400 B.C.-A.D. 400), Nayarit, Mexico (from von Winning 1968:Plate 183).
118
[Vol. 3, No. 2, 1992
Figure6. Large clay figureof a male wearing
which
hangs a pelvic cover.Ixtlan del Rio (400 multipleearrings,a checkedshirt, and short breeches,from
B.C.-A.D. 400) Nayarit, Mexico (fromWestheimet
Plate
164). Courtesyof the publisher. C)1972 The
al. 1972:
PutnamPublishingGroup.
before
the Tarascanempire flourishedin the high
mountains of nearby Michoacan.The Nayarit
human
effigies are unique among the entire complex of
Multiple
ringsare worn aroundtheir ears (see FiguresS mesoamericanfigurinesin two respects:
and 6) and their clothingis decoratedwith
distinctive
polychromemotifs.
The Ixtlandel Rio females are clad in tight,
short,geometricallypatternedskirts(Figure5).
These
garments
often display contiguous,decoratedsquaresthat
collectively producea checkeredeffect.
Some
of the figurinesalso have a matchingcloth
band worn either under or over one shoulder.
TheIxtlan del Rio males wear, in place of the
pan-mesoamericanloincloth, Tarascan-likeshort
breeches;
some include an oblong, shell-like pelvic cover
hangingfrom the waist. Many of these
male
figurinesare depicted in tunic-like shirts often
decorated
with a pattern of geometrically
decorated
squares(Figure6).
Theunusual garment styles of the Ixtlan del
Rio figurinesappear over a thousand years
later
among
the Tarascansof Michoacan.These dress
modes are distinct from anythingelse in Mesoamerica
but similar to each other. Clothingevidence
suggeststhis apparelderived from the northern
coast
of South America.
Ecuadorian
Clothing:1500 B.C.-A.D. 1530
Early
depictionsof a SouthAmericanshirtarefoundin the
Ecuadoriancoastalprovinceof Manabi
(Figure
7). During the Chorreraphase (Late
Formative: 1500-300 B.C.), hollow ceramic figurines
were
producedat the site of Chacras.These pieces
display clothing similar in constructionto that
ofIxtlan
del Rio. A male wears a short shirt and
breecheswhose design motifs are decoratedwith
Anawalt]
Figure 7.
119
Map of the Manabi coast of Ecuador showing sites and culture areas under discussion.
zoned punctation(Figure8); a female is clad in a miniscule tight skirt and matchingmini-mantle,
both punctateincised (Figure9).
Largeclay human figureshave been found at Los Esteroson the coast of Ecuadorin Bahia phase
(500 B.C.-100 A.D.) contexts (Lapiner 1976:334). These hollow Los Esterossculpturesoften wear
multiple earrings,as do their slightly later Ixtlan del Rio counterparts.A furtherparallel trait is
geometricallypatterned,polychromegarments.
Los Esteros female figurinesare attired only in decoratedskirts and necklaces;males are clad in
short shirts over which are often worn a large,curved pendant (Figure 10). The generalshape and
size of these Ecuadorianpectoralsand the pelvic cover that often hangs from the belt of Ixtlan del
Rio males (see Figure 6) appearto be identical.
120
[Vol. 3, No. 2, 1992
Figure 8. Clay figure of a male wearing a short shirt and breeclles witll
zoned-punctation patterning. Chacras,
Chorrela culture (1500-300 B.C.), Manabi province, Ecuador (from Lapiner
1976:Plate 722).
Additionalcostume evidence for Ecuadorian-WestMexicancontactappearson a ceramic
female
figure(Figure11) datingfrom the Late Guangala/EarlyMantenophase (A.D.
700-800) and coming
fromManabi province, coastal Ecuador(Olaf Holm, personalcommunication
1989). This figurine
wearsa mini-mantle and short skirt patternedin geometricallydecoratedsquares,
designs almost
identicalto those on the skirt of the Ixtlan del Rio female (see Figure 5).
A preferencefor clothingmarkedinto geometricallypatternedgrids continuedin
Ecuadorto the
timeof Europeancontact. A few fragmentsof cloth from the MilagrQuevedo
culture(A.D. 40S
SpanishConquest)are still extant (see Gardner1979);one is patternedwith
decorated,contiguous
squares(Figure12). Similarmotifs appearon the garmentof a personagedepictedon a
potteryseal/
stampthat dates from the Mantenophase of coastalManabiprovince(A.D.
70>1530) (Figure13).
This propensityfor garmentsdecoratedwith squaresis a recurrenttheme in the
long histow of
Andeanweaving.Thanksto the ancientpracticeof mummy burialsin the dw sandsof
coastalPeru,
examplesof checkeredshirts have been found that date back from the Contactperiod
Inca to the
Paracascultureat the time of Christ. The geometricmotifs most analogousto those
of this study
arefound on Huari shirts from aroundA.D. 500 (see Lapiner 1976:Plate543)
found on the south
coastof Peru.However,in none of the Andeanhigh cultureswas the male shirt
found in association
witheither short breechesor female short skirtsand mini-mantles.Depictions of
this combination
ofgarmentsoccur only on ceramicsfrom coastalEcuadorwhere,unfortunately,
the tropicalclimate
rarely
permits survival of the textiles themselves.
Within Mesoamerica,the tradition of Ecuadorian-styleclothing markedinto
squaresis known
onlyfor West Mexico, both at Ixtlandel Rio, 400 B.C.-A.D. 400, and amongthe
sixteenth-century
Tarascans.Similar garment types and geometric designs are not found in other
mesoamerican
Anawalt]
121
Figure 9. Clay figure of a female wearing a short, tight skirt and matching mini-mantle, both patterned with
punctate incising. Chacras, Chorrera culture (1500-300 B.C.), Manabi province; Ecuador (from Lapiner 1976:
Plate 723).
cultures of any period. The styles occurredearlier in South America and were dominant in the
Andeancultures,supportingthe view that the Ecuadoriandress mode diffusedfrom south to north.
The thousand-yearspan of Ecuadoriangarmentstyles in West Mexico suggestsone of two things:
eitherthe same attirepersistedin the culturethroughoutthis periodor repeatedEcuadoriancontacts
served to reintroducethe same type of apparel. While archaeologicalevidence for continuity of
these clothingstyles has yet to be discovered,therearedata testifyingto continuedculturalexchange.
Hosler's(1988) researchon similaritiesin metallurgybetweenWest Mexico and Centraland South
America demonstratescontacts from the south in A.D. 800 and again in A.D. 1200 and 1300. In
addition, ethnohistoricalaccounts from both Ecuadorand West Mexico testify that such contacts
were taking place in the sixteenth century.
ETHNOHISTORICALEVIDENCE
FOR ECUADOR-WESTMEXICOCONTACT
Ecuador:Sixteenth Century
That the Indian tradersof the Ecuadoriancoast had the navigationalskills and oceangoingcrafts
capableof long-distancetrade is well documented(see Edwards1965). Jijon y Caamano(1941:II:
91-92, 101) suggeststhese navigators-whom he identifiesas the Mantenoand Huancavilca-were
organizedinto a "leagueof merchants"on the Manabicoast, specificallyin the regionof Calangone
wherepresent-daySalangois now located (see Figure7). His conclusionis reachedthroughanalysis
of Contactperiod accounts;among the best known are the reportsfrom 1525 involving Bartolome
122
[Vol. 3, No. 2, 1992
Figure 10. Joined clay figures of a male wearinga short shirt and curvedpendantand female wearinga
geometricallypatternedskirt.Bahiaphase(500 B.C.-A.D. 100),LosEsteros,Manabiprovince,Ecuador.Courtesy
DenverArt Museum.
Ruiz, navigatoron FranciscoPizarro'sinitial voyage along the northwestcoast of South America
(de Oviedo y Valdes 1945; de Samanos 1844).
In the course of the Spaniards'exploration,they encountereda large balsa-woodraft belonging
to local merchantsplying the Ecuadorianlittoral to exchangeworkedluxurygoods for raw shells,
almost certainlySpondylusprinceps(see Marcos 1977-1978). This mollusk was a principalitem in
the active Ecuadoriantradewith the Andean high cultures(Paulsen 1974). As discussedbelow, the
resultingculturalinteractionapparentlyalso includedthe transferof certainPeruvianclothingstyles,
design motifs, and techniquesof textile production.
The conquistadorsdescribedthe well-workedgoods producedby the Ecuadoriantraders'confederationof commercialvillages, includingdetails regardingtheir cloth and clothing.The Indians
are said to have kept "sheep."These llama and/or alpaca are reportedto have been shearedonce
a year, producing"wool"-i.e., camelid fibers-of various colors, some dyed in varyingshades of
red, blue, and yellow. The yarns were woven into textiles decoratedwith figuresof birds, animals,
fish, and groves of trees. Women's skirts and "capes worn under the shoulder"are mentioned, as
well as male breechesof diverse colors and men's richlyworked"wool" shirts(de Oviedo y Valdes
1945:221;de Samanos 1844:197).
WestMexico: Sixteenth Century
Ethnohistoricalevidence from West Mexico confirmsthat merchantsfrom the south reachedthat
section of Mesoamerica.A 1525 accountreportsthe periodicappearanceof distantsoutherntraders
Anawalt]
123
Figure11. A femalefigureof the Guangala/Mantenophase(700-800 A.D.) of coastalEcuadorwearsa short,
ffght,decoratedskirt with motifs almostidenticalto those of the Ixtlan del Rio figurine(see Figure5). Courtesy
Museo BancoCentraldel Ecuador,Guayaquil.
Figure 12. A textile fragmentdisplaying a checkeredpatternwith repeatingdesigns within each square.
Milagro-Quevedoculture(400 A.D.-Spanish Conquest),Los Rios province,Ecuador.CourtesyMuseo Banco
Centraldel Ecuador,Guayaquil.
[Vol. 3, No. 2, 1992
124
Figure 13. A pottery seal/stamp showing a personage wearing a garment decorated with an elaborate
checkeredpattern.Mantefio-Huancavilcaculture(A.D. 700-1530), Manabi province,Ecuador(fromEdwards
1969:Figure5). CourtesyJ. C. Kelley.
in the port of Zacatulaat the mouth of the Rio Balsas in West Mexico (see Figure 1) to exchange
"exquisitethings"for local goods (de Albornoz 186v1884:63-64). On occasion, the merchantsare
reportedto have remained for five or six months, until good weather and calm seas permitteda
safe returnto their southernhomeland.West (1961:133-134) speculatesthat these navigatorshailed
from either Panamaor coastal Ecuador.Extanttextile evidence favors the latter.
TEXTILEEVIDENCEFOR
ECUADOR-WESTMEXICO-AMERICANSOUTHWESTCONTACT
In the diffusion of South American clothing traits, West Mexico appearsto have served as the
conduit betweenEcuadorand the AmericanSouthwest,as loom-woven textile fragmentsdisplaying
ancient Andean weaving techniquesattest.
Gauze Weaves
Supplementary-Weft
Gauze weaves-openwork fabricsmade by crossingwarp yarnsin the course of weaving (Birrell
1974:253)-have great antiquity in Peru, dating back to Chavin weavers in B.C. 900 (Rowe and
Bird 1982).Thanksto the recoveryofthree central-coastgauzelooms-two attributedto the Chancay
culture(A.D. 110s1420)-the Prehispanictechniquefor creatingdecorativegauze weaves is now
far better understood.The intact woven cloth on all three of the archaeologicallooms displaysthe
same distinctive technique (Figure 14): plain gauze weave with supplementary-weftthreadsinterlacing over and under each group of two crossingwarps(Rowe and Bird 1982).
The supplementary-weftweave producesa patternon fabricthat, when viewed only in fragment
form, often appearsto be embroidered-decorative threadsadded with a needle to finishedclothrather than woven. Several scholars have misidentified supplementary-wefttextile fragmentsas
embroideries(Rowe and Bird 1982:29), includingKent (1983:189; Plate 15) when she analyzeda
gauze piece from Dyke Ranch, Montezuma's Castle, Arizona. Recently a number of fragments
deemed embroideriesby Kent have been reexaminedand found to be supplementary-wefttextiles
(Lynn S. Teague, personalcommunication 1991). Analogous fragmentsalso have been recovered
in coastal West Mexico.
A group of cotton textiles associatedwith copper bells was found in 1961 by a local inhabitant
of Chametla,Sinaloa. Among these were seven fragmentswoven in the supplementary-weftgauze
SVefis
Anawalt]
125
.ffi:
!
.
ffi
s
0
.'..:sy^
t
Supplementary
$
¢
Weft
Figure 14. Diagramof a supplementary-weft
gauze weave(after Teague l991:Part 2, Chapter3, Figure 15).
technique.When discussingthese pieces, Pang(1975:306) used the term "brocadedgauze,"referring
to the decorativeeffectachieved by the supplementaryweftsbeingaddedduringthe weavingprocess.
Pang (1975:301) dated these gauze fragmentspost-A.D. 1000, whereasMastachede Escobar(1971:
85) suggestedpost-A.D.700-900. In view of Hosler's(1988) contentionthat the initial introduction
of metallurgyin to West Mexico was around A.D. 800, the earlierdating may be feasible.
Alternating- Warp Float Weave
An additional ancient Andean weaving technique furtherlinks the American Southwest, West
Mexico, and South America.The traditionof loom-woven warppatterningdates back in the Andes
at least 4,500 years(Rowe 1977:6).Of these weaves, the alternating-warpfloat is among the earliest
and remains the only Prehispanicweaving technique still extant along the Ecuadoriancoast in
modern times (Hagino and Stothert 1984:22-24). The alternating-warpfloat (Figure 15) involves
skippingone of the regularinterlacingsof threadsin a plain weave in orderto producea three-span
float in the warp on one side of the fabricand in the weft on the other (Rowe 1977:53).
An archaeologicaltextile exhibiting the alternating-warpfloat weave was found in West Mexico.
A copper-preservedpiece of loom-woven cotton cloth was discovered in 1960 by looters in a cave
Warps Interlacing
1:1
W
Warps Interlacing
1:3 o
Wefts
Figure 15. Diagramof an alternating-warpfloat weave (after Teague l991:Part 2, Chapter3, Figure 10).
126
LATIN AMERICAN ANTIQUITY
[Vol. 3, No. 2, 1992
near Campo Morado, in the Rio Balsas Basin of Guerrero.This undated
fragmentrepresentsa
weaving technique unlike any other reportedto date from PrecolumbianMesoamerica
(Johnson
1964:532-533) and is a specialvariantof warp-patternweave "[where]the designgenerally
depends
upon the alternatearrangementof contrastingcolors in the warp set-up." This
techniquewas used
by the ancient Peruvians(Johnson 1964:532-533) and was also known to weavers
in the American
Southwest.
In discussingtextiles of the prehistoricSouthwest,Kent (1957:532-535) refersto
the alternatingwarp float weave as producinga patternwhere the design is built up by warp floats
on the surface
of the cloth. There is no evidence of this particulartechniqueanywherein the
Southwestuntil after
A.D. 1300, when it turns up in the present-daystate of Arizona at Tonto National
Monument, a
site that contains furtherSouth American-WestMexican parallels.
AmericanSouthwesternClothing.A.D. 1000-1400
The American Southwest had developed weaving skills in a variety of complex
techniques by
A.D. 900, following the introductionof domesticated cotton by A.D. 500 and the
mesoamerican
backstraploom slightlylater. Owing to this area'sdesertclimate and dry-cave
preservation,at least
2,000 textile remains have survived (Kent 1983).
Evidence suggeststhat in these arid lands men were wearingAndean-stylecotton tunics
(Kent
1983:71,221-225). Fourvirtuallycomplete southwesternshirtsdatingbetweenA.D.1000 and 1400
are known, two made of painted plain weave, two of single-elementfabrics. The
best-known of
these garments was found in a cave in Tonto National Monument. The tunic-like
shape of this
cotton-fibershirt appearsonly in West Mexico and South America. Its constructionmethod,
however,is a nonloom techniquecalled sprang-the manipulationof a set of parallel
yarns-that appears
to have originatedin South America,where it has been found in Peruviansites
datingback to 1100
B.C.Today sprang is also presentin Mexico, Guatemala,Colombia, Guiana, and
Venezuela(Kent
1983:70-71).
A detailedanalysisof the Southwest'scotton-basedtextile assemblagerecentlyhas
been completed
by Lynn S. Teague (1991). Her researchsuggests that the prehistoric
southwesternphenomenon
does not representa locally derived tradition but ratherwas introducedfrom West
Mexico. The
costumeevidence bears this out.
Although the mesoamericanbackstraploom was used throughoutMiddle
WestMexico-and playeda decisive role in the developmentof clothingin the America-including
AmericanSouthwest,
its diffusionwas not accompaniedby the full mesoamericancostume repertoire.
Southwesternmen
didnot wear the pan-mesoamericanwraparoundloincloth and simple cape, but
instead wore closefittingbreech coverings and tunic-like shirts. Two of the latter, constructedof
loom-woven plain
weave, resemble the male garments of West Mexico. The archaeologicalpresence
of this nonmesoamericanapparel(Kent 1983:221-233) suggeststhat the backstraploom arrivedin the
AmericanSouthwestby way of West Mexico.
The mutual reinforcementof dress modes and weaving technology suggeststhe
possibility of a
pathwayof culturalexchangebetweenSouthAmericaand the AmericanSouthwestwith
WestMexico
theinterlinkingchannel. Riley (1987:86-87) describedevidence for Prehispanic
trade routes to the
northfrom coastalWest Mexico. He basedhis argumenton evidence of Indiantraders
from Culiacan
beingfound in the Yaqui area as well as the archaeologicaldiscovery of
southwesterngoods in
Jaliscoand Sinaloa. A memory of this trade-in operation when the Spanish
arrived-was still
extantin the 1880s when Lumholtz traveled throughthe Michoacan highlands.He
reportedthat
in"formertimes" Tarascanmerchantsjourneyedas farnorthas the state of New
Mexico (Lumholtz
1973:II:368).
DISCUSSION
To the argumentfavoringEcuadorian-WestMexican culturalexchange,this article
has added an
additionaltrait, clothing. Similarities in garment styles and weaving techniques between
coastal
Ecuador,West Mexico, and the American Southwest lend credence to the linguistic
hypothesis
Anawalt]
ANCIENTCULTURALEXCHANGES
127
proposed by Swadesh (1967:92-93) for an ancient link between Quechua, Tarascan,and Zuni.
Nonetheless, puzzling questions remain conceIning the reasons for this contact, the items being
traded,and why these tradingforaysweregoingon with WestMexicoratherthanothermesoamerican
populations.
The combined languageand garment similarities suggest that Ecuadoriankin, or adopted kin,
may have been permittedto remain in the West Mexican villages for up to six months at a time
and that these northeIngroupswere probablyoriginallytradingcolonies of southeInmerchantswho
then stayedon permanently.They thus would be the same linguistico-ethnicgroupand, hence, wear
the same clothing. Repeated trade would have maintained contact-preventing "genetic drift"and kept the West Mexicansfrom becomingacculturated"Mesoamericans."The Ecuadorian-West
Mexicanparallelsin ceramics,metallurgy,design motifs, burialpractices,dressmodes, and weaving
techniquesarguefor more than strongties of trade between these two distant groups.
Acknowledgments. Many colleagueshave contributedto this investigation;I am indebtedto them all. Elizabeth Boone provided the initial incentive. Olaf Holm, director, Museo Antropologicodel Banco Central,
Guayaquil,Ecuador,made his collections available,and suppliedneeded photos and detailed information,as
did Robert Stroessner,Latin Americancurator,Denver Art Museum. Betty J. Meggers,National Museum of
NaturalHistory, SmithsonianInstitution,Washington,D.C., kindly permittedme to examine the Ecuadorian
Los Rios textile fragmentsand also lent assistancewith an early draftof the manuscript.Lynn Teague,curator
of archaeology,ArizonaState Museum,generouslyallowed the use of unpublisheddata and interpretationsand
drew the textile diagramsshown in Figures 14 and 15. Al Stendahl helped in obtaining informationon the
publishedarchaeologicalfigures.Other helpfulcolleaguesinclude JonathanBatkin,FrancesBerdan,Guillermo
Cock, Alana Cordy-Collins,ChristopherDonnan, Alan Grinnell,David Grove, BridgetHodderStuart,Thomas
Howell, ClementMeighan,Phil C. Weigand,Gordon Willey,and the anonymousreaders.ElizabethP. Benson's
assistancein Ecuadorwas appreciated,as were Susan Einstein'sphotographs,KathleenO'Reilly's maps, and
Lisa Chisholm'sresearchcompetence.
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Books, New York.
CoronaNunes, J. (editor)
1964 Codex Telleriano-Remensis.In Antiguedadesde Mexico, basadas en la recopilacionde Lord Kingsborough1:151-337. Secretariade Hacienday Credito Publico, Mexico, D.F.
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NOTE
' The insert on Figure7 shows the distributionsof the paintedjay (Cyanoxorax dickeyi) and the white-tailed
jay (Cyanocorax mystacalis).
Received July S, l991; accepted January 6, 1992

Ancient Cultural Contacts between Ecuador, West Mexico, and the

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