National Museum

I visited the Museo Nacional de Banco Central del Ecuador, or in English known as the Central Bank National Museum. It has nearly 1500 pieces from pre-Inca to current day are in the permanent exhibit and presented chronologically It takes several hours to visit the museum, artefacts range from the pre-ceramic era (4000 BC) through the end of the Inca empire (1533 AD). Some of the popular pieces include whistle bottles shaped like animals, decorative gold headdresses and scenes that depict life in the Amazon.

These girls were lining up to visit the Museum when I was there.  As a side note:

Education

Ecuador, as elsewhere in Hispanic America, the Catholic Church histori­cally provided education. But in keeping with late nineteenth-century trends across Latin America, Ecuadorian liberals enacted a series of anti­clerical reforms that included secularizing education, beginning in 1895. Education reform was placed in Ecuador’s constitution of 1906; a law requiring secular education. Liberal Presidents oversaw the development of many state-sponsored secondary schools, normal schools, and night schools for workers and increased funding for the universities. The literacy rate for Ecuador for those 15 and older is around 85%.There are still many indigenous tribes in Ecuador where education has not yet reached.

Ecuador had many types of schools, nearly all segregated by gender.Most schools require the wearing of uniforms as well.There were five categories of elementary schools: fiscales, funded mainly by the national government; municipales, schools funded with city revenues; part icuüires, private schools; beneficencüis, charity schools operated first by the Church and later by the Junta de Beneficencia; and night schools run by ar­tisan mutual-aid societies and sometimes supported with grants from the na­tional or local government. After elementary school, most students attend cole­gios, or high schools. Most colegiosare private vocational or trade schools; however, students that show promise attend pre-college high school.

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This fine looking gentlemen greeted us at the door.
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Taking photographs in the museum was a challenge
The Museum itself was dark with the displays illuminated
The displays were behind glass as well so there are some
reflections.  Sorry about that.

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These are examples of spear and arrow points dated from thousands of years ago.
Yes, they are authentic.  I did not see one little gold “Made in China” tag!

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Terracotta masks used in religious ceremonies.
It is remarkable to see them unbroken over so
many years of History.
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Now, this is a serious item  It is solid gold!
Somehow the Spaniards missed it.  Otherwise
it would have been melted down and shipped
back to Spain like so many other Indian treasures.

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This hand made hammered gold bowl most likely served some
ceremonial purpose.  Unknown what happened to the missing piece.
Maybe it ended up being an ear ornament.
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Luckily for us, these golden idols also escaped the melting pot.  Others were not so fortunate.
I am certain they ended up in Spain or decorating the many Catholic Churches present in
Latin America.

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