The Andes
Part 1: The Northern Andes Venezuela – Colombia – Ecuador The book was published in 1977 by C.J. Bucher, Lucerne and Frankfurt am Main. ISBN 3-7658 0250 6

Map of the Northern Andes.
The numbers refer to the photographs in the book. They are indicated alongside the relevant photographs.

The photographs were taken between 1972 and 1977.
1972–73: Trip 16 – Pan-American Highway
1976–77: Trip 20 – South America – from Argentina to Venezuela

Colombia is the only country in South America that borders two oceans. However, the strategic importance of the Pacific and Caribbean coasts differs greatly. The hard-to-reach Pacific alluvial plain, lined with mangrove forests, contrasts with the rocky Caribbean coast, which is dotted with bays (picture). The major longitudinal valleys that separate Colombia’s Eastern, Central and Western Cordilleras also open out onto this coastline. The Magdalena Valley was one of the main gateways for the Spanish conquerors. To the east, the river delta is bounded by the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, whose northern flank—indented by bays, peninsulas and islands—is constantly eroded by the surf. - Book: Picture 13 – Colombia - 1977

Colombia is the only country in South America that borders two oceans. However, the strategic importance of the Pacific and Caribbean coasts differs greatly. The hard-to-reach Pacific alluvial plain, lined with mangrove forests, contrasts with the rocky Caribbean coast, which is dotted with bays (picture). The major longitudinal valleys that separate Colombia’s Eastern, Central and Western Cordilleras also open out onto this coastline. The Magdalena Valley was one of the main gateways for the Spanish conquerors. To the east, the river delta is bounded by the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, whose northern flank—indented by bays, peninsulas and islands—is constantly eroded by the surf. - Colombia - 1977

The historic church and monastery of San Pedro Claver in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, with traditional buses in the foreground. The sanctuary is situated in the historic centre of Cartagena’s walled old town. The complex was built in the 17th century by the Jesuit Order and is characterised by its imposing stone façade, portico and striking dome. – 1972

This building is the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas in Cartagena, Colombia. The imposing fortress was built from 1536 onwards during the Spanish colonial period. It is regarded as one of the most significant and largest fortifications ever built by the Spanish in their colonies. Together with the historic old town of Cartagena, which is surrounded by city walls, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. – Colombia – 1972

The Magdalena Valley rift lies in the lee of the Colombian Eastern and Central Cordilleras and is therefore relatively dry. Open grassland, interspersed here and there with thorny shrubs and cacti, as seen here in the Neiva area, covers the broad valley floor. - Book: Picture 25 - Colombia - 1977

The Río Patía is the longest river in Colombia’s Pacific region and forms part of one of the most impressive landscapes along the famous Pan-American Highway between Popayán and Pasto. – Colombia – 1977

At the Pasta junction (Nudo), the three Colombian mountain ranges converge to form a high-mountain landscape that is difficult to classify. The rugged, deeply incised mountain flanks contrast with basins filled with volcanic ash and gently sloping foothills, which support the maize fields of the indigenous farmers. - Book: Picture 24 - Colombia - 1977

The Sierra Nevada de Mérida, approximately 500 kilometres long, forms the continuation of the Colombian Eastern Cordillera into Venezuelan territory. In its central sections, it consists of gneiss and granite, with young sedimentary rocks overlying both flanks. As a result of significant Tertiary uplift, the central mountain block reaches extraordinary heights. It culminates in the 5,003-metre-high Pico Bolívar, but the peaks of Pico Humboldt (4,942 m) and Pico Bonpland (4,883 m), visible on the right of the picture, are only slightly lower. - Book: Picture 9 - Venezuela - 1977

As the name suggests, five of the peaks in the Sierra Nevada de Mérida are covered in perpetual snow. Depending on the aspect, the snow line lies between 4,650 and 4,750 metres. A small glacier tongue extends down from the large, firn-filled cirque of Pico Bolívar (5,003 m), from which the people of Mérida used to cut blocks of ice to cool food and drink. To the right is Pico Abanico (4,900 m). - Book: Picture 21 - Venezuela - 1977

The Sierra Nevada de Mérida, approximately 500 kilometres long, forms the continuation of the Colombian Eastern Cordillera within Venezuelan territory. In its central sections, it consists of gneiss and granite, with young stratified rocks overlying both flanks. As a result of significant Tertiary uplift, the central mountain block reaches extraordinary heights. View from Pico Espejo towards the summits of Pico Humboldt (4,942 m) and Pico Bonpland (4,883 m). – Venezuela – 1977

Separated from the Central Cordillera by the alluvial plains of the Rio Magdalena and the Rio Cauca, the isolated mountain range of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta rises in the far north of Colombia. It reaches a height of 5,776 metres at Pico Cristóbal Colón. Dense tropical mountain and cloud forest covers the slopes up to over 3,000 metres; the snow line lies between 4,700 and 5,100 metres. - Book: Picture 14 - Colombia - 1977

Another view of the Andes! In the Tierra Templada – the climatic zone of the Northern Andes ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 metres – the lowland rainforest gives way to the tropical mountain forest. Thickets of bamboo, tree ferns and a lush undergrowth of leafy plants make it impenetrable without a machete. Added to this is the abundance of epiphytes and orchids growing on all the trees. The Cattleya, which comes in numerous species, is considered one of the most beautiful. The photograph was taken near San Agustín, where a rich culture flourished at the turn of the millennium. - Book: Picture 4 - Colombia - 1973

Another orchid of the genus Cattleya, which grows epiphytically on the bark of a tree. It prefers airy, light to semi-shaded locations. – Colombia, San Agustín – 1977

The photograph shows a traditional settlement of the Kogi indigenous community, with its characteristic conical huts, in the mountainous region of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia. The typical roofs are made of natural materials such as straw or grass, adapted to the warm and humid to cool mountain climate of the Cordillera. – Colombia – 1977

The Kogi Indians live in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. In the picture, the elongated building on the right is the men’s house, where the men live whilst they are in the village. The round houses, which are also thatched, serve as accommodation for the women and children. The Kogi meet only at certain times, about twice a month, for ceremonial celebrations in the villages; the rest of the time they spend – living separately by gender in two huts – in their fields, where they grow maize, cassava, bananas, pumpkins, sugar cane and beans. Whatever they cannot produce themselves, they exchange for chickens, pigs and other produce. - Book: Picture 15 - Colombia - 1977

A boy from the Kogi indigenous people, who live largely in isolation and preserve their centuries-old traditions. Traditionally, the Kogi make their own clothes on looms using natural fibres or cotton, as can be seen in this portrait. – Colombia – 1977

The entire life of the Kogi is governed by fertility rites and the strict separation of the male and female principles. This picture shows a Kogi man with the poporo, a gourd filled with powdered shell. The gourd is regarded as female, and the stick used to ‘fish out’ the lime powder is regarded as male. Over the years, the Kogi symbolically perform the act of fertilisation by using the stick to remove powder from the gourd and rubbing it onto the bowl, which, over time, develops a thick layer of lime. Gold figurines featuring similar calabash gourds, the lime from which was chewed together with coca leaves, have been preserved from the Quimbaya culture of the central Cauca Valley (11th–15th centuries). - Book: Picture 16 - Colombia - 1977

The traditional clothing of the Kogi is characterised by distinctive features. The woven tunic is made from hand-woven, natural fabric. Whilst adult Kogi traditionally wear entirely pure white clothing as a symbol of the purity of nature and the ‘Great Mother’, children’s garments often still feature coloured stripes (such as the earthy shades of red, yellow and black shown in the picture). A wide, robustly woven strap from a traditional shoulder bag (mochila) runs across the shoulder. – Colombia – 1997

A young Kogi mother wearing her jewellery. The Kogi are an indigenous community who live a secluded life in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia. The heavy, multi-layered necklaces made of colourful glass and natural beads, as well as the simple, white clothing made from hand-woven cotton, are deeply characteristic of their culture. - Book: Image 17 – Colombia – 1977

A boy from the Kogi tribe. The Kogi regard themselves as the ‘elder brothers’ of humanity. They see it as their sacred duty to preserve the ecological and spiritual balance of the Earth. They refer to the rest of modern humanity as the ‘younger brothers’ who are destroying the planet. - Book: Image 18 – Colombia – 1977

The Kogi Indians’ suspension bridge: liana loops hold together a structure made of tree trunks and other lianas, which is built without a single nail. - Book: Picture 19 - Colombia - 1977

A fisherman skilfully casts a circular cast net into the river in the shallow waters of the Río Anchique. – This river in the Department of Tolima forms part of the wider catchment area of the Río Magdalena. – Colombia – 1977

The floor of the Cauca Rift Valley, situated at an altitude of 800 to 1,100 metres, rises gradually towards the south, reaching an altitude of 1,760 metres at Popayán and continuing through the increasingly narrow Paria Rift Valley as far as the border with Ecuador. The picture shows the rift zone south-west of Popayán. - Book: Picture 34 - Colombia - 1977

A dense cloud forest in the Puracé National Natural Park, a spectacular nature reserve in the Central Cordillera of the Colombian Andes, located mainly in the department of Cauca and, to a small extent, in the department of Huila. The name comes from the Quechua language and means ‘Fire Mountain’, which is a direct reference to the volcanic activity in the area. Colombia – 1977

Deforestation in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia. – 1977

Landscape near Cuesta Boba, a well-known, striking stretch of mountain terrain in the Colombian department of Santander. The area is situated in the High Andes within the municipal boundaries of Tona, near the village of Berlín and on the major road between Bucaramanga and Cúcuta. Altitude 3,200 m – 1977

Agricultural area near Pasto, Colombia. - 1977

Landscape near Cuesta Boba, a well-known, striking stretch of mountain terrain in the Colombian department of Santander. The area is situated in the High Andes within the municipal boundaries of Tona, near the village of Berlín and on the major road between Bucaramanga and Cúcuta. Altitude 3,200 m – 1977

The natural regrowth of the slopes of the Eastern Cordillera in northern Colombia, which have been devastated by overexploitation, is hampered by the dry season, which lasts several months each year. The ravaged mountainous region, through which the Río Sube flows into the Río Sogamoso, is largely of no economic value and almost completely uninhabited. - Book: Picture 22 - Colombia - 1977

The impressive ‘Cascada La Candelaria’ is a spectacular waterfall over 150 metres high, which plunges down a steep rock face densely covered in moss and jungle vegetation. It is situated very close to the small village of Santa Leticia in the department of Cauca in Colombia. – 1977

In pre-Columbian times, the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia was densely forested up to altitudes of at least 3,000 metres. Spanish colonists and land-hungry mestizos cleared the forests and cultivated the steep slopes with maize and cassava. Rain washed the fertile humus layer down into the valleys until the bare gneiss was exposed over a wide area. Today, vast masses of scree fill the valleys, where rivers meander between gravel banks, as is the case here with the Rio Chicamocha in the department of Santander. - Book: Picture 20 - Colombia - 1977

The photograph shows the picturesque ‘Salto del Bedón’ (Cascada del Río Bedón), a mighty waterfall in the ‘Parque Nacional Natural Puracé’ in the Department of Cauca in the Colombian Andes. It is surrounded by typical páramo vegetation, including the striking large leaves of Asteropeia plants (also known as ‘giant frailjones’) and sparse grasses. – 1977

The photograph shows a section of the Río Magdalena in the department of Huila in Colombia. In this area, the still-young river emerges from the narrow rocky gorges near its source at San Agustín and flows through a deeper valley flanked by the foothills of the Andes. The photograph captures the landscape in the region between Pitalito and Garzón. – 1977

The Río Cauca in the Caramanta region (in the south-west of the department of Antioquia) forms one of Colombia’s most impressive river landscapes. Here, the country’s second-longest river winds its way through a deep canyon between the Central and Western Andean Cordilleras. Typical of this altitude are the striking palm trees that rise sporadically from the grass-covered slopes. – Colombia – 1972

Like the volcanoes Huila (5,750 m), Ruiz (5,400 m) and Tolima (5,215 m), the ice-capped Santa Isabel (5,100 m) also towers over the vast, moraine-covered plateaus of the Colombian Central Cordillera. - Book: Picture 23 - Colombia - 1977

Children and teenagers washing pans and clay pots on the Río Galíndez. The river is situated in the department of Cauca in south-western Colombia. – 1977

A Sunday outing by lorry in the Colombian province of Huila. In the Andes, lorries largely replace buses. - Book: Picture 40 - Colombia - 1977

In Santa Leticia, in the municipality of Puracé in the department of Cauca, right on the border with Huila, these ‘chiva’ buses are the main means of transport and the lifeblood of the entire region. Santa Leticia lies in the rugged mountainous regions of the Central Cordillera at an altitude of over 2,100 metres. These sturdy buses are often the only vehicles capable of negotiating the unpaved roads and mountain tracks. The buses travel fully laden with sacks of food, crates and crops on the roof. – Colombia – 1977

In the rugged Andean regions around Popayán (such as the nearby Tierradentro region or Puracé National Park), chivas are often the only means of transport capable of negotiating the unpaved gravel tracks. – Colombia – Cauca Department – 1977

A view of a slum in Bucaramanga, the capital of the department of Santander in Colombia, which is also known as ‘La Ciudad Bonita’ (The Beautiful City) or ‘City of Parks’. – 1977

Bogotá, whose full name is Bogotá de Santa Fe, is the most contrasting of the Andean capitals. Modern skyscrapers are increasingly rivalling the colonial stately buildings. From 1932 onwards, but particularly after the Second World War, economic development set in, leading to the formation of new industrial and residential districts, but also of vast slums. Whilst the city had not yet reached half a million inhabitants in 1945, this figure has since risen to over seven million. Bogotá was deliberately built by the Spanish conquistador Jiménez de Quesada right in the heart of the former Chibcha Empire; for a long time, it was therefore dependent on steamboat transport on the River Magdalena. Today, thanks to the railway, it is connected to both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, whilst passenger transport is predominantly by air. - Book: Picture 166 - Colombia - 1976

A view of the city centre of Bogotá in Colombia, featuring the striking Torres de Fenicia. These are two high-rise towers, each around 100 metres high, which stand out clearly against the historic and densely built-up cityscape. The residential complex was built in 1970. – 1977

The Edificio Aseguradora del Valle is a striking 20-storey office block in the international centre of Bogotá, Colombia, which opened in 1972 and is renowned for its curved, staircase-like façade design. The building stands at a height of around 74.4 metres and is characterised by staggered, curved concrete bands that lend it a distinctive visual dynamism. – 1977

The Edificio Avianca is a historic high-rise building situated in Parque Santander in the historic centre of Bogotá, Colombia. Completed in 1969, it stands at a height of around 161 metres. At the time of its opening, it was the tallest building in Latin America and Colombia’s first skyscraper to break the 150-metre mark. – 1977

This historic street in the La Candelaria old town district of Bogotá, Colombia, offers a view eastwards towards the steep slopes of the Andes. It is characterised by whitewashed façades, traditional wooden balconies and tiled roofs. La Candelaria is the historic heart of Bogotá, with its numerous narrow alleyways, museums and colonial churches. – 1977

A golden breast ornament from the Tolima culture, Colombia, depicting a bird-human hybrid with an openwork central section and an anchor-like base (10.5 x 19.2 cm, 184 g). Museo del Oro, Bogotá, Colombia. - Book: Picture 63 - Colombia - 1973

‘Tierradentro’ (land that lies within) forms part of the area now inhabited by the Paez people. Links are thought to exist between the cultures of San Agustín and Tierradentro; in any case, similar guardian figures are found at both sites. Tierradentro, however, occupies a special place amongst pre-Columbian cultures because of its burial chambers: caverns carved out of chalk sandstone, measuring up to 70 square metres, which are entirely painted with geometric patterns. The predominant colour of red serves as a reminder that in Mexico, too, the colour of the dead is red. - Book: Picture 60 - Colombia - 1977

"Tierradentro" (land that lies inside) belongs to the present settlement area of the Páez Indians. It is assumed that there is a connection between the cultures of San Agustín and Tierradentro, but in any case similar guardian figures can be found in both places. Tierradentro occupies a special place among the pre-Columbian cultures, however, because of its burial chambers: caverns of up to 70 square metres, hewn in chalk sandstone and completely painted with geometric ornaments. The predominant red colour reminds us that the colour of the dead is red in Mexico too. - Detail of burial chamber 10. - 1977

"Tierradentro" (land that lies inside) belongs to the present settlement area of the Páez Indians. It is assumed that there is a connection between the cultures of San Agustín and Tierradentro, but in any case similar guardian figures can be found in both places. Tierradentro occupies a special place among the pre-Columbian cultures, however, because of its burial chambers: caverns of up to 70 square metres, hewn in chalk sandstone and completely painted with geometric ornaments. The predominant red colour reminds us that the colour of the dead is red in Mexico too. - Detail of burial chamber 1. - 1977

This famous boulder is situated in the municipality of Aipe in the department of Huila, Colombia. It is known locally as the ‘Piedra Pintada’ (Painted Stone). The engravings, carved deep into the rock, were created hundreds of years ago by the pre-Columbian indigenous peoples of the region – presumably from the Pijao and Paez (Nasa) groups. Historians believe that this massive volcanic rock served as an important trading and meeting place for the exchange of goods (such as salt, gold and crops) between the tribes of the lowlands and the highlands. – Colombia – 1977

Monolithic statue from the ‘archaeological park’ of San Agustín (Huila Department, Colombia). The frequent depiction of human figures with big cat teeth bears witness to the jaguar cult that once prevailed here and, in conjunction with the child, suggests cannibalistic rites. The heyday of this culture is thought to have been around the time of Christ’s birth: by the time the Spanish arrived, it had long since died out. - Book: Picture 56 - Colombia - 1973

This statue is thought to depict a sun god holding two mazas (ceremonial staffs) in his hands and wearing the symbol of the tree of life on his headband. The various styles demonstrate that San Agustín served as a place of worship for centuries. Luis Duque Gomez, who has been looking after the ‘Parque’ for 25 years, distinguishes three phases. It remains a mystery why this culture did not spread to its wider surroundings, as other cultures in South America did. - Book: Picture 59 - Colombia - 1973

Monolithic statues from the "archaeological park" of San Agustín (Huila department, Colombia). The heyday of this culture is assumed to be around the birth of Christ: when the Spaniards arrived, it had long since ceased to exist. - 1977

Monolithic statues from the "archaeological park" of San Agustín (Huila department, Colombia). The heyday of this culture is assumed t to be around the birth of Christ: when the Spaniards arrived, it had long since ceased to exist. - Tumulus B - height of the figure 1.85 m. - 1977

The statue known as ‘EI Tablón’ was interpreted as a moon goddess by the German archaeologist K. Th. Preuß, who worked in San Agustín in 1913–1914: today, the prevailing view is that it depicts a dignitary bearing the insignia of his power. The variety of styles attests to the fact that San Agustín served as a place of worship for centuries. Luis Duque Gomez, who has been looking after the ‘Parque’ for 25 years, distinguishes three phases. It remains a mystery why this culture did not spread to its wider surroundings, as other cultures in South America did. - Book: Picture 58 - Colombia - 1977

Monolithic statues from the "archaeological park" of San Agustín (Huila department, Colombia). The heyday of this culture is assumed to be around the birth of Christ. - "El tablón" - coffin lid. - 1977

San Agustín culture, Colombia. A monolithic statue of a man with the ‘Second Self’, photographed at the Alto de las Piedras. - Book: Picture 43 - Colombia - 1977

Monolithic statues from the "archaeological park" of San Agustín (Huila department, Colombia). The heyday of this culture is assumed to be around the birth of Christ: when the Spaniards arrived, it had long since ceased to exist. - Tumulus 8 - The figure is 60 cm high, holding two fish in her hands. - 1977

Monolithic statues from the "archaeological park" of San Agustín (Huila department, Colombia). The heyday of this culture is assumed to be around the birth of Christ. - Tumulus B - The crocodile measures 2.40 m x 0.96 m - 1977

Monolithic statues from the "archaeological park" of San Agustín (Huila department, Colombia). The heyday of this culture is assumed to be around the birth of Christ. - Statue with a vessel in his hands. - 1977

Chimborazo rises as a mighty landmark, 6,272 metres high, on the western edge of the Ecuadorian basin range. Alexander von Humboldt had climbed the heavily glaciated volcano – which was considered the highest mountain on Earth in the 19th century – almost to the summit on 23 June 1802. He had not yet seen the eucalyptus forests in the foreground. This Australian tree was not introduced until around 1850. - Book: Picture 28 - Ecuador - 1977

At 5,790 metres, the Cayambe volcano is the third-highest mountain in Ecuador. On its slopes, at 4,690 metres, lies the highest point on Earth crossed by the equator. However, due to glacial retreat in recent decades, there is no longer an icy point on the equator. During the rainy season, however, the southern slope is often covered in snow, making it the only point along the entire equator where snow falls regularly. The photograph shows the volcano from a south-westerly direction. In the foreground, one can see the characteristic agricultural hills and farmland of Pichincha Province surrounding the town of Cayambe. – Ecuador – 1972

Another view of the 5,790-metre-high Cayambe volcano from the surrounding agricultural highlands of Pichincha Province, where the indigenous people (the Kayambi) have traditionally practised agriculture and livestock farming. – Ecuador – 1972

Cotopaxi (5,897 m) in Ecuador’s Eastern Cordillera is the highest active volcano on Earth. Although it has not erupted since 1928, the column of smoke rising above its smooth summit on cool days proves that it is by no means extinct. - Book: Picture 33 - Ecuador - 1973

The Tungurahua volcano rises to a height of 5,016 metres, 140 kilometres south of Quito. Its most recent eruptions took place in the last century. The Los Baños thermal spa, situated at its foot, is Ecuador’s most visited health resort. - Book: Picture 32 - Ecuador - 1977

The alpine meadows above the tree line have their counterpart in the humid tropical Northern Andes in the páramos: vast grasslands dotted with tussocks of stem-forming composite plants. The silvery-grey, downy leaves and the stems of the espeletias (frailejones), scorched by willow fires, present a ghostly sight, particularly when the mist rolls in (Páramo de Purace, Central Cordillera of Colombia). - Book: Picture 35 - Ecuador - 1977

These cone-shaped huts are made entirely of páramo straw (ichu grass). They are a direct legacy of the Puruhá culture. They are actively maintained in communities around Cajabamba in the canton of Colta (Chimborazo province). The people wear traditional dress, which includes felt hats with short brims and thick woollen ponchos. These provide protection against the extreme cold of the Ecuadorian Andes. – Ecuador – 1977

Washing clothes by hand directly in the river and then spreading the colourful laundry out to dry on the neighbouring grassy areas is a very long-standing tradition in the Andes. It is still practised in this way by some locals today. – Scene on the Río Tomebamba in Cuenca, Ecuador – 1977

The Chota Valley is an inter-Andean valley in northern Ecuador, stretching along the border between the provinces of Imbabura and Carchi. In contrast to Ecuador’s generally humid and lush Andean highlands, the Chota Valley has a semi-arid microclimate. It is hot and dry all year round. The valley is one of the most important settlement areas for the Afro-Ecuadorian community in the Andes. The inhabitants are descendants of African slaves who were brought to the region by Jesuits during the colonial era to work on sugar cane plantations. – 1977

The Chota Valley is a region steeped in tradition in the north of Ecuador. The region is best known for its Afro-Ecuadorian community, which has preserved a culture that is unique within Ecuador. The population is descended from enslaved Africans, who were brought to the region by Jesuits in the 17th century. The ‘Bomba del Chota’ is the region’s best-known style of music and dance. It is characterised by the bomba drums. Traditionally, women dance to this rhythm with great skill whilst balancing a bottle perfectly on their heads. – 1972

The striking Mitad del Mundo monument (Centre of the World) in San Antonio de Pichincha, near Quito, Ecuador, is a stone monolith approximately 30 metres high, crowned by a large globe, which marks the equator. The monument stands about 23 kilometres north of Quito and commemorates the historic French geodetic expedition of 1736 led by Charles Marie de La Condamine. – 1977

The Mitad del Mundo monument. The trapezium-shaped tower, built of hewn stone, has its sides pointing exactly in the four cardinal directions, whilst the sphere mounted on top is encircled by a metal equatorial ring. Recent precise GPS measurements have shown that the actual equator lies some 240 metres further south. – 1977

An indigenous Kichwa woman from the Salasaka community in the province of Tungurahua, Ecuador. The distinctive light-coloured hat (muchiku) with a round brim is traditionally made from sheep’s wool. The elaborate, multi-strand necklaces (walkas) are traditionally made from fine beads and coral. They symbolise ethnic identity, cultural heritage, and the prestige and strength of indigenous women in the Andes. The woman is wearing a dark shawl (Chal or Fachalina), which is typically fastened at the front with a large, decorative silver pin or brooch (Tupu). – 1977

A girl from the Salasaka community (Tungurahua Province, Ecuador). The white hat is traditionally made from pressed sheep’s wool. It is a key symbol of identity during festivals. The hand-woven woollen shawl (Lishta) is often patterned with fine stripes. It is crossed over the chest and fastened with a silver brooch (tupu). Wearing walkas (multi-strand necklaces made of red coral or beads) is a typical form of jewellery for women and girls. – 1977

A young girl from the indigenous Kichwa community in the Otavalo region of the Ecuadorian highlands, dressed in traditional attire consisting of a blue poncho, a headdress and multiple layers of gold bead necklaces. – 1977

One of the most famous indigenous markets in the Andes takes place every Saturday in Otavalo (Imbabura Province, Ecuador). The Otavaleños enjoy an excellent reputation as trading partners and merchants; they can be found everywhere on the roads of the Andes, carrying their wares on their backs. Their market has become a major tourist attraction, featuring cockfights in the afternoon and bullfights in June. Alongside their own products, they sell the Salasacas’ cloths and rugs here. - Book: Picture 27 - Ecuador - 1977

A scene from the Sunday market in Riobamba, Chimborazo Province, Ecuador. - Book: Picture 30 - Ecuador - 1977

A craftswoman weaving a traditional toquilla straw hat (often mistakenly referred to as a ‘Panama hat’). Cuenca in Ecuador is regarded worldwide as the most important centre for the production and export of these famous toquilla straw hats. They are painstakingly hand-woven from the fine fibres of the toquilla palm. Whilst the weaving of the rough forms often takes place in the surrounding villages of the province of Azuay, the hats are washed, bleached, moulded into shape and finished in the workshops and factories in Cuenca itself. The traditional weaving of these straw hats in Ecuador has been officially inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. – 1977

Cuenca in Ecuador is regarded as the global centre for the processing and export of genuine toquilla straw hats. Whilst the fine straw is harvested on the coast and is often woven by hand in rural areas, the hats are finished in Cuenca’s renowned workshops. The hat blanks are cleaned to preserve their characteristic light colour. The protruding straw strands visible in the photograph are carefully trimmed by hand. The hat is shaped into its typical form using either traditional or modern hydraulic presses and heat. Finally, the inner sweatband and the classic black outer band are sewn on. – 1977

A Salasaca man in traditional dress – a black poncho, white trousers and a white shirt – at the loom. The barren soil of the central Ecuadorian province of Tungurahua, around the town of Ambato, has forced the Salasacas, a tribe of around two thousand indigenous people, to pursue a second source of income alongside farming. Their rugs, featuring bird and animal motifs, are famous far and wide. The Otavaleños usually handle the distribution of the textiles. - Book: Picture 26 - Ecuador - 1977

Sunday market in Cajabamba, west of Riobamba. Two hundred varieties of potato, ranging from small white tubers to huge red sweet potatoes, a dozen varieties of maize, quinoa (‘Peruvian rice’), pulses, as well as animal feed and, occasionally, modern fertilisers and colourings are on offer at these markets. - Book: Picture 31 - Ecuador - 1976

A Salasaca indigenous man weaving a wide belt, known as a ‘faja’. Traditional patterns include birds, deer, cats and other stylised animals. - Book: Picture 139 - Ecuador - 1976

Lunch at the Sunday market in Cajabamba, Chimborazo Province, Ecuador. - Book: Picture 137 - Ecuador - 1976

Riobamba is the economic and administrative centre of the Ecuadorian province of Chimborazo. The photograph shows the old, historic coach station (Terminal Terrestre) and an adjacent market square in the 1970s. Riobamba links the coastal region with the Andean highlands. The buses in the background display the nearby destinations of Guamote and Colta, two historically significant indigenous communities in the immediate vicinity. – 1977

A scene from the Sunday market in Riobamba, Chimborazo Province, Ecuador. - Book: Picture 29 - Ecuador - 1977

An indigenous woman from Riobamba in her traditional dress, carrying her child on her back in a sling. The brown felt hat is typical of the indigenous population (mostly Kichwa) of Chimborazo Province around Riobamba; it is a distinctive symbol of indigenous identity and belonging in this region. The child is carried safely on her back in a traditionally woven sling. The poncho provides reliable protection against the cold in the cool high altitudes of the Andes. – 1977

A Salasaca girl from the town of Ambato, Tungurahua province - Ecuador - 1976

The Saraguros are known for their elegant and traditional black national dress. The women often wear distinctive white hats with black patterns on the brim (or black felt hats), dark shawls (reboso), colourful embroidered blouses and elaborate beaded jewellery (collares). The photograph shows a traditional gathering after Sunday mass, held directly in front of the church in the main town of Saraguro in southern Ecuador (Loja Province). Those present are carrying floral arrangements and wreaths, which is typical of religious or community celebrations within the context of syncretism (the fusion of the Christian faith and the Andean cosmovision). – Ecuador – 1977

Saraguro in the province of Loja, Ecuador. A particularly beautiful custom of the Saraguros is the flower offerings: every year, during the Christmas midnight mass, the ‘muñidoras’ are chosen. These women are then responsible for the flower offerings throughout the year. Using garden flowers, they create small arrangements in which tiny figurines, crosses and stars are hidden, and place these in the various churches every Sunday morning. Unmarried women arrange the flowers in specific round shapes; only elderly women or widows are permitted to create arrangements in the shape of branches. - Book: Picture 39 - Ecuador - 1976

Saraguro in the province of Loja, Ecuador. A particularly beautiful custom of the Saraguros is the offering of flowers: every year, during the Christmas Midnight Mass, the ‘muñidoras’ are chosen. These women are then responsible for the floral offerings throughout the year. Using garden flowers, they create small arrangements in which tiny figurines, crosses and stars are hidden, and place these in the various churches every Sunday morning. Unmarried women arrange the flowers into specific circular shapes; only elderly women or widows are permitted to create branch-shaped arrangements. - Book: Picture 36 - Ecuador - 1976

The Saraguro in the province of Loja, Ecuador. A particularly beautiful custom of the Saraguros is the offering of flowers: every year, during the Christmas midnight mass, the ‘muñidoras’ are chosen. These women are then responsible for the floral offerings throughout the year. Using garden flowers, they create small arrangements in which tiny figurines, crosses and stars are hidden, and place these in the various churches every Sunday morning. Unmarried women arrange the flowers in specific round shapes; only elderly women or widows are permitted to create branch-shaped arrangements. - Book: Picture 38 - Ecuador - 1976

An indigenous woman from the Saraguro culture in the province of Loja, Ecuador, recognisable by her traditional clothing and distinctive white felt hat. The woman is wearing striking silver earrings and traditional beaded necklaces. A silver brooch (‘Topo’, a traditional garment pin) holds her dark cloak in place over a red blouse. – Ecuador – 1977

The Saraguro in the province of Loja, Ecuador. The topos – the pins used by Saraguro women to fasten their ponchos – are unique to this tribe in that they feature a sun-shaped head. In Peru, they are spoon-shaped. - Book: Picture 37 - Ecuador - 1977

Quito. Page from Poma de Ayala’s *Nueva Crónica*. - Book: Picture 165 - Ecuador - 1976

The Virgin of Guadalupe (oil on wood, 26 x 37 cm). This miniature is by an unknown 17th-century artist and is attributed to the Quito School, which, from its foundation in the 16th century, had a decisive influence on artistic production in the Andean countries. Many of its pupils, however, remained anonymous. Miguel de Santiago (1655–1706) is regarded as the most significant painter of this school; like the leading sculptor Gaspicara (Scarred Face), he was an Indio. Museo del Banco Central del Ecuador, Quito. - Book: Picture 134 - Ecuador - 1977

Foot bowl from the Tuncahuán-Carchi culture with a bird motif (diameter 21 cm, height 8.5 cm). Museo del Banco Central del Ecuador, Ouito. - Book: Picture 51 - Ecuador - 1977

Bowl with monkeys - Tuncahuan culture - 500 BC to 500 AD - negative painting of beeswax and honey - diameter 19cm, height 8.5cm - Museo Banco Central Quito, Ecuador - 1977

Vase from the Panzaleo culture with negative ornamentation (top diameter 13.5 cm, height 19 cm). The Panzaleo culture flourished in the provinces of Tungurahua and Cotopaxi between 500 BC and 500 AD. Museo del Banco Central del Ecuador, Ouito. - Book: Picture 52 - Ecuador - 1977

Cañari ‘horseman-shaped’ vessel, Cañar and Azuay provinces, Ecuador (height 16 cm). Period of Integration, 500 to 1400 AD. Museo del Banco Central del Ecuador, Quito. - Book: Picture 69 - Ecuador - 1977

Ceramics of the culture Tacalshapa in the provinces of Azuay and Cañar, Ecuador - Integration period from 500 to 1400 A.D. - Height 16 cm - Museo Banco Central Quito - 1977

Ceramics of the culture Tacalshapa in the provinces of Azuay and Cañar, Ecuador - Integration period from 500 to 1400 A.D. - Height 23 cm - Museo Banco Central Quito - 1977

‘The Coca Chewer’. Clay figurine (height 32 cm) from the Carchi culture, Imbabura and Carchi provinces, Ecuador. Museo del Banco Central del Ecuador, Quito. - Book: Picture 75 - Ecuador - 1977

Vase in the shape of a nursing woman (height 24.5 cm) from the Carchi culture, Ecuador. Museo del Banco Central del Ecuador, Quito. - Book: Picture 77 - Ecuador - 1977

Pre-Columbian pottery - Ceramics Jama-Coaque culture (coast) - Height 39,5cm - Museo Banco Central del Ecuador, Quito - 1977

Pre-Columbian pottery - Ceramics Bahia culture - Manabi province - Height 64cm - Museo Banco Central del Ecuador, Quito - 1977

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