Russians Dig in Ecuador

Archaeological expedition of the Far Eastern Federal University has commenced comprehensive research on historical monument, located on the shore of Ecuador, for the first time. Within a framework of the international grant provided by Scientific Fund of the FEFU, a group of Primorsky Krai scientists is working on the dig site, with its age being the same with that of the shell mound, found on Russky Island this summer, in cooperation with representatives of the Polytechnic University of Ecuador. This joint research will result with producing comparative life characteristics of ancient people, who used to live on the opposite shores of the Pacific Ocean.

FEFU expedition comprises students, Master’s students, post graduate students and teachers of the School of Humanitarian Sciences, Engineering School and School of Natural Sciences, Academic Museum members, and also Moscow and Novosibirsk scientists, who took interest in researches conducted by the Far Eastern archeologists.

— Such group composition will allow us to perform archaeological excavation, define its area using geophysical methods, and conduct paleozoological studies of those animals, which remaining were left by the ancient people. We will work together with Ecuadorian Master’s students, who visited us in August. We are going to apply our own research methods, — says Alexander Popov, Head of the expedition and Director of the Academic Museum of the FEFU.

Interestingly, the monument is located on Santa Elena Peninsula, not far from Manta City that has sister-city relationship with Vladivostok. It was discovered by Ecuadorian scientists who conducted their own research there for a certain period of time. Russian experts initiated research resumption within a framework of the Parity Agreement, concluded with the Polytechnic University.

International grant provided by Scientific Fund of the FEFU is expected to be 3-year one. The first year was introductory for archeologists of both countries, i.e. they studies materials and previous researches on the similar issue. In 2014, the project entered its practical phase.

— Our research will result in determination of human’s strategy of adaptation to environment changes all over the globe. Processes that took place everywhere on a global scale, i.e. warming, cooling, sea level fluctuations or geological changes, were the same. Ancient human, who dealt with gathering and hunting, while standing on the threshold of the civilization, used to react on each of them, even those of the least significance, — concluded Alexander Popov.

Noteworthy, South America civilization phenomena, as well as Primorsky Krai shores, have already been studied by scientists, but detailed comparative analysis has never been conducted before, which provides the uniqueness of this project.