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Cited by 4Archaeology and Cultural HeritageAmazonian Archaeology and EthnohistoryHistorical and Architectural Studies

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 38 of the 38 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Considering the invisible in architecture: The contribution of traditional architecture to the study of pre-Hispanic mounds in the north-Andean region of Ecuador

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Martal, Clémentine, Echeverría Almeida, José·2026·Journal Of Anthropological Archaeology
DOI 10.1016/j.jaa.2025.101732
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Abstract

Earthen construction in the north-Andean region of Ecuador reflects an ancient tradition that includes different techniques such as adobe, rammed earth, cob, turf blocks, and bareque . The latter, a wattle-and-daub technique using wooden or bamboo frameworks, is underdocumented, despite its frequent mention in ethnohistorical accounts of vernacular and pre-Hispanic architecture. Today, bareque is rapidly disappearing from the regional landscape. Our ethnoarchaeological research highlights continuities between traditional and pre-Hispanic construction while exposing significant gaps in the archaeological record, particularly regarding domestic and monumental structures. By documenting preserved examples, this study develops a preliminary construction model that reveals the technical complexity and specialized knowledge embedded in these practices. It also raises key questions concerning building techniques, landscape use, labor investment, temporal frameworks, and the preservation of archaeological contexts and structures. The findings emphasize the importance of systematically studying traditional construction to enhance interpretation and conservation of architectural remains. More broadly, this work contributes to rethinking archaeological and ethnoarchaeological approaches in post-colonial contexts. It advocates interdisciplinary and participatory strategies that promote ancestral knowledge while strengthening local awareness of heritage valorization and the preservation of traditional architectural heritage. • Traditional bareque and thatched-roof architecture is rapidly disappearing in Ecuador. • A construction model was developed based on documented practices and local testimonies. • The chaîne opératoire approach helps analyze past architectural choices. • Similarities are observed between traditional and pre-Hispanic construction techniques. • Ethnoarchaeology sheds light on the transmission and preservation of earthen architecture.

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  4. Athens, 1997, Etnicidad y adaptación: El periodo Tardío de la ocupación Cara en la Sierra Norte del Ecuador, Sarance: Rev. Del Inst. OtavaleÑo de Antropología, 161
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  10. Moreno Yánez, 1979, El “Formulario De Las Ordenanzas De Indios”: Una Regulacion De Las Relaciones Laborales En Las Haciendas y Obrajes Del Quito Colonial y Republicano, Ibero-Amerikanisches Arch., 5, 227
  11. Moreno Yánez, 1981, La etnohistoria: Anotaciones sobre su concepto y un examen de los aportes en el Ecuador, Contribución A la Etnohist. Ecuat., 21
  12. 1989. Oberem, U., Wurster, W.W. (Eds.), Excavaciones en Cochasquí, Ecuador, 1964–1965. Mainz am Rhein, Allemagne, ISBN: 978-3-8053-1054-3.
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  15. Smith, L.T., 2023. Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples, bloomsbury ed In: Zed Books, London New York Oxford New Delhi Sydney, ISBN: 978-1-350-34608-6.
  16. Tituaña, 2010, Ecuador: 30 años del derecho al voto de los analfabetos y 14 años de desafíos electorales de los pueblos y nacionalistas indígenas, Cuad. de CAPEL, 161
  17. Wattez, J., 2009. Enregistrement sédimentaire de l’usage de la terre crue dans les établissements néolithiques du sud de la France : le cas des sites du Néolithique Final de La Capoulière 2 et du Mas de Vignoles IV. In: Beeching, A., Sénépart, I. (Eds.), MÉmoire XLVIII de la Société Préhistorique Française. Paris, p. 199.
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  19. Wurster, W.W., 1989. Ruinas existentes. In: Excavaciones En Cochasquí 1964-1965, Udo Oberem, Wolfgang W. Wruster In: Kommission Für Allgemeine und Vergleichende Archäologie, (Band 42), Allemagne, pp. 11–69.
  20. Zeidler, 1983, La etnoarqueología de una vivienda Achuar y sus implicaciones arqueológicas, Miscelánea Antropológica Ecuat., 3, 155

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Metadata

Authors
Martal, C., & Echeverría Almeida, J.
Affiliations
Archéologie des Amériques (FR)
Corresponding author
Martal, Clémentine
ORCID
Martal, Clémentine
Venue
Journal Of Anthropological Archaeology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2026-03
Volume
81
Pages
101732
ISSN
0278-4165 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.jaa.2025.101732
OpenAlex
W4416747265
Cited by
3
References
32
Citations by year
2026: 3
FWCI
9.04
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Anthropological Archaeology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology (arts and humanities) › Archaeology and Cultural Heritage
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › Amazonian Archaeology and Ethnohistory
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology (arts and humanities) › Historical and Architectural Studies
Keywords
wattle and daub, earthen architecture, traditional building techniques, chaîne opératoire, construction models, adobe, rammed earth, cob, vernacular architecture, architectural heritage preservation, ancestral knowledge

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