Archaeologists have discovered a building from around 2200 BC in an archaeological and ecological park in Quito at the foot of Pichincha Volcano.
"It is the most ancient archaeological find in Rumbipapa Park and in the city of Quito," park supervisor Bernarda Icaza told EFE, adding that no identification or description has been made of the culture that lived in the area during the Formative Period when the building was constructed.
Icaza noted the find has "enormous" historical importance, because "it opens doors to further archaeological, historical and heritage research."
The excavation was started two years ago by archaeologist Angelo Constantine. After digging down three metres, the flooring of a small dwelling was found.
Park guide Danny Villacis, who worked on the dig, told EFE that carbon dating was used to determine the age of the site, where traces of human faeces and urine were found.
Also found were scraps of human and animal bones from another period, presumably from a time after Pichincha Volcano erupted.
Specifically, next to the building were also found traces of volcanic lava.
"What destroyed this village was the eruption of Guagua Pichincha, and later the eruptions of Pululahua finished it off for good," Villacis said.
He said the discovery is important because it shows "we are practically in our infancy" when it comes to studying historical subjects.
Villacis said there is "still a lot of research to be done," since many people refer to the Incas as their ancestors despite the fact that "thousands of years ago" there were already other people living in Ecuador.
