8000-2000 B.C.E.
People moved to South America either through North America or by crossing the Pacific Ocean. Coming to a new a world people had to adapt due to the different atmosphere. There were different tribes with different cultures but the were generally divided into two sections, the Northern Andes, and the Central and Southern Andes. Both sections lived by gathering plants and by hunting mammoth and other animals.
Some of the earliest known works of art in western South America have been found on Ecuador's Santa Elena Peninsula from the Valdivia Culture in the Northern Andes region.
Some of the earliest known works of art in western South America have been found on Ecuador's Santa Elena Peninsula from the Valdivia Culture in the Northern Andes region.
Figurine tradition represents the earliest known example of this form of artistic expression in the Americas. Early stone figurines varied in form from simple engraved tablets to carefully carved miniature sculptures.
Standing Figure, late 3rd millennium B.C.
Ecuador; Valdivia
Stone; H. 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm)
People produced small stone and ceramic figurines. They were created out of two slabs of clay pressed together to form the torso and legs. These figurines often depict women in various stages of their lives. Commonly interpreted as fertility figures and/or guardian spirits, the exact purpose of these precocious figurines remains unknown.
Double–Headed Figure, end of 3rd millennium B.C.E.
Ecuador; Valdivia
Ceramic; H. 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm)
Double–Headed Figure, end of 3rd millennium B.C.E.
Ecuador; Valdivia
Ceramic; H. 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm)