English
Español 
Narrio is a hill that rises on the western outskirts of the town of Canar, practically with the recent urban growth in this city, Narrio has been absorbed by it.
Within the urban perimeter of the head Cantonal Cañar Zham Zham riverside, is located a small rise of just one hundred meters in height and three thousand meters above sea level, known as “Cerro Narrio” naked view looks like a turtle in profile, it is a settlement longest cultural sequence in Ecuador and contains the longest stratified archaeological evidence of the prehistory of the southern provinces of Ecuador, Chimborazo southern to northern Loja (Jorge G. Marcos. Brief Prehistory of Ecuador, 1986).
In 1914, explorers found the first few objects in precious materials, as soon as the news spread from the town of Canar, with picks and shovels dug all around the tops and sides of the hill.
Cerro Narrio
Cerro Canari Narrio was a cemetery and ceramic crafts center
Within the chronology and periodization based on radiocarbon analysis, reports for Narrio Early age of 3940 before this underlying framework, together with the various types especially ceramics, to determine the chronology and periodization respective pre-Hispanic.
Culture involves Narrio Protocañari Early (200-500 BC) and Late Narrio (500 BC to 500 AD) Modern Narrio Canari itself or culture (500 AD to 1460) to Inca domination from 1460 to 1520.
In 1922 Hill Narrio becomes famous, for a casual finding of gold objects, silver and gold plated copper, shell espóndylus, ceramics and stone.
The German scholar Max Uhle, who attend the excavations in the said year, is struck by the objects found in a special way, when compared with the best of Mesoamerica, published his studies in his epochal book “Influences in the Upper Ecuador Maya believe that elements of these cultures gave rise to the “Cerro Narrio.”
At the end of l941. Donald Collier and John V. Murra, sent by the Institute of Andean Research U.S. performed the early work of proper scientific excavations, their strategic studies published in May 1943 under the title “Survey and Excavations in southem Ecuador”, translated in 1982 by the Catholic University, based in the city of Cuenca, it follows the existence of two stages: Narrio Narrio Early and Late.
The first ceramic-like note of the coast of Ecuador and the second, a profusion of objects of gold and gilded copper objects over bone, shell and obsidian.
Subsequently, and studies by national and foreign archaeologists have been clarified at least in some respects our prehistory, and we know that Narrio Hill, was closely associated with the cultures of the coast, especially as the province of Guayas .
That our lands were inhabited for about five thousand years, taking accurate data and Cerro Narrio that was occupied about 2850 a. C., therefore, coeval with the final stages of the Valdivia Culture, located in the province of Guayas and characterized by having one of the oldest pottery in America.
At this time start trading base espóndylus shells and coca, to settle and develop great domains, emphasizing precisely the Cerro Narrio to post its strategic location controlled much of the Ecuadorian coast and part of northern Peru, hence the presence of names like Zham Zham = Chan Chan in northern Peru. Hegemony that remain until the conquest of the Incas.
Subsequently and in the same areas of Narrio appears the phase called “Tacalshapa” that in some regions of Azuay, lead to the Inca conquest, the great characteristic of the development of metal especially gold objects (crowns, breastplates, weapons).
Finally in the later years of Tacalshapa appears Cazhaloma or Cazhaloma stage called Nar, for in this place where they first met compoteras (cups) to each pedestal. White paint is used on the natural color of the pieces.
No doubt Narrio Hill represents one of the most interesting sites of archaeological research in the country and Andean America, is considered a sacred tola, the cemetery that holds the historical identity of the natives Canaris.
This archaeological site is adjacent to the Museum of Ethnography and Archaeology in the city Guantug of Canar.
