The Andean corded communication system. The cord’s composition, ply, length, end treatment, and color were all significant factors in the quipu’s use and meaning.

This enigma is made of Cotton. Composed of a thicker, 32"/81.28 cm long Primary cord. It contains 65 pedant cords alternating in segmented tan and brown colors. Each pendant varies in length with strategically placed differing type knots representing numeric values.  According to Harvard University's Quipu Data Base Project, there are approximately 600 Quipus in existence in museum, university and private collections around the world.

Sequence of major Archaeological cultural phases in pre-hispanic Ecuador are:

Las Vegas; Valdivia; Machalilla; Cotocollao; Chorrera; Narrio; La Tolita; Guangala; Jamacoaque; Jambeli; Capuli; Bahia; Puruha; Cuasmal; Manteno; Huancavilca; Milagro – Quevedo; Atacames; Canari and Inca.

Palmers Stones represents the earliest known appearance of human figurines in the New World. The range from simple ground plaques (Phase 1) to elaborately carved representations in which the facial features are clearly indicated and hands are depicted as a feather or rake-like design. The stone prisms are turned into human effigies by low relief carving emphasizing  the eyes and hands. The progressive sequence of stone figurines are from the simple rectangular plaque, to plaques with a groove indicating the division between the legs, to the more detailed depiction of the human face and limbs (Phase 2).