La Tolita

Around 3000 years ago, the La Tolita site developed on the Pacific coast of northern Ecuador, and its culture soon extended into the inner alluvial plain of mangrove and heavy rainforest flora up to an elevation of 2000 meters along the Andean foothills. According to fresh geomorphic evidence, the La Tolita civilisation blossomed as a result of a natural disaster that opened a new river, facilitating communication with gold-bearing areas and Andean tribes on the landward side. The Esmeraldas-Tumaco seismic zone, one of the most active on the planet, is home to the La Tolita area. In the alluvial lowlands of the Santiago and Cayapas River basins, channel avulsion is linked to active fault action.

This one-of-a-kind archaeological site is located on a small island off the coast of San Lorenzo. It is thought to have been home to one of the first pre-Columbian societies, a people proficient in gold, silver, and even platinum work. Thousands of shards of antique pottery can be found on one beach alone.

Location: North Pacific coast, Ecuador