Ecuador 2007

In the summer of 2007 I was lucky enough to participate in the Palmitopamba Project directed by Dr Ron Lippi and Alejandra Gudino. Palmitopamba means ‘gateway to the palm hearts’ in a combo of Quechua and Spanish. Set against the breathtakingly beautiful backdrop of the Ecuadorian cloud forest, the village of Palmitopamba hosts perhaps the largest of Yumbo earth constructions. The modified hill, known as a tola, presides over the modern village as well as a Yumbo mound cemetery now in a modern cane field.

Popular Ecuadorian mythology holds that the mummy of Atahualpa, the last Sapa Inka who was murdered by the conquistadores, was whisked away into the jungle to Palmitopamba where traditional Inka worship of the body could be continued. Perhaps there is something to be said for legends. The year I worked at Palmitopamba, this very small project located and partially excavated the first undeniable evidence of a sizable Inka presence at the site in the form of a large stone building. See my plan drawing of the building on this site. The mummy of Atahualpa is still unaccounted for.

My work on the project can mostly be described as general “archaeologist” work. I dug things up and I cleaned those things with a toothbrush. This was very much a small share-the-work style project. I did spend much of my time making many of the project drawings. Archaeological plan drawing requires a lot of patience and concentration and most people shy away from it. I like to turn on my ipod and go at it!

The Palmitopamba project was truly filled with great people. They were remarkably helpful and just lovely to hang around with. I remember my time there fondly!