Albarradas in Coastal Ecuador: Rescuing Ancient Knowledge on Sustainable Use of Biodiversity

This proposal combines archeology and ecology to develop an understanding of how ancient peoples in the coastal zone of Ecuador coped with the El Nino phenomenon. The move to adapt technologies to a more modern system could help to conserve the wild relatives more effectively. The objectives of this project are to: (1) increase the understanding about the technologies utilized by the ancient inhabitants of the region to sustainably use the biodiversity of the area in relation to El Nino events; and (2) conserve the wild relatives, traditional cultivars and wild races of crop varieties in this ecosystem.