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Image Credit: Mosquera et al., npj Heritage Science (2026)
Study Identifies Ancient Cooking Areas in Ecuador’s Upano Valley
A new archaeological study has identified combustion and cooking areas at the El Edén archaeological site in Ecuador’s Upano Valley, offering new insight into domestic life in the pre-Hispanic Amazon. The research focuses on contexts dated to around 650 years BP, or roughly the 14th to early 15th century AD.
El Edén is located in the central Upano Valley, an area known for artificial mounds, platforms, canals, roads, and other evidence of planned settlement organization. Excavations at the site focused on domestic contexts associated with compacted clay floors, hearths, post holes, charcoal concentrations, and pottery fragments showing traces of fire exposure.
The study combined archaeological excavation with X-ray fluorescence geochemical analysis and phytolith analysis. Six sediment samples from floors and hearths were examined to identify chemical differences between domestic surfaces and combustion features. The geochemical results showed two main compositional groups: one linked mainly to hearths, and another associated with floors and occupation deposits.
Phytolith analysis added evidence for plant use in domestic spaces. The researchers identified microbotanical remains associated with cultivated plants such as maize and cassava, as well as palm species. These findings suggest that the areas under study were connected to food preparation, cooking, plant processing, and possibly construction activities using palm materials.
One floor area, identified as Feature 7, showed a high density of ceramic fragments, many with signs of burning. These were spatially associated with charcoal and combustion features, indicating repeated domestic use. Hearth Feature 3 appears to have been especially connected with food preparation, supported by both geochemical signals and phytolith evidence for maize, cassava, and palms.
The study is cautious in its conclusions, noting that the number of analyzed samples was limited. Some plant identifications, especially at species level, are treated as tentative because reference collections for Amazonian phytoliths remain incomplete. Even so, the results demonstrate the value of combining soil chemistry and microbotanical evidence in tropical archaeological contexts, where organic preservation is often poor.
Overall, the research helps clarify how domestic spaces were organized in the late occupation phases of the Upano Valley. It also adds to growing evidence that pre-Hispanic Amazonian societies created structured settlements and managed plants, food production, and daily household activities in complex ways.
Published on: 29-05-2026
Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie
Source: npj Heritage Science
