Upano — Kilimope Southern Platform at Sangay Valley South (Upano South)
Upano Kilimope South · Sangay Southern Platform · Kilamope South Gardens
Formative to Regional Development (500 BCE – 600 CE)·Upano (Kilamope–Sangay) / Huapula·🇪🇨 Morona-Santiago, Upano Valley southern Kilimope sector south of Sangay volcano, Ecuador
About
About Upano — Kilimope Southern Platform at Sangay Valley South (Upano South)
Southern Kilimope platform village in the Upano Valley south of Sangay volcano, where the Sangay-Kilimope settlement network's southernmost dense platform complex preserves a 15 ha platiform mound village with 8 rectangular platforms 40×25 m × 3 m high, central plaza 80×60 m and 600 m causeway embankment surveyed by Rostain and recent LiDAR (2024 Nature). Distinct from the Kilimope plateau north gardens and plateau north proper in wave-6, this southern platform handles volcanically enriched soils at 1100 m with chicha jug caches and maize phytolith fields. Sangay ash 300 CE buries abandonment horizon. Platforms aligned to sangay azimuth.
Why it mattersSouthern platforms extend Upano network south to Sucúa; platform fill and phytoliths date earliest Amazonian urbanism (500 BCE) and Sangay agriculture intensification.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether platforms are residences or chiefly houses
- 02Attribution of 300 CE ash to specific Sangay eruption?
Theories
- 01South platforms specialized in maize chicha surplus for plazas
- 02Causeway links south to Kilamope central for procession
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 600 BCE Upano initial; southern platform 500–300 BCE Kilimope phase
- Period
- Formative to Regional Development (500 BCE – 600 CE)
- Culture
- Upano (Kilamope–Sangay) / Huapula
- Builders
- Upano culture
- Purpose
- Platform dwelling and maize agricultural village with plaza ceremony
- Abandoned
- c. 300–600 CE Sangay eruption and regional abandonment
- Rediscovered
- 1990s Rostain; south platforms LiDAR 2024
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 500 BCE
Upano platforms founded in Sangay-Kilimope valley
c. 400–200 BCE
Southern 8 platforms and plaza built on enriched volcanics
c. 300 CE
Sangay ash buries southern village
2024
LiDAR maps southern platforms and 600 m causeway
On the ground
Structures & features
2.1450° S · 78.1050° W · 1100 m · 3 mapped features
Platform Cluster (8 platforms 40×25 m)
platformEight rectangular platforms 40×25 m ×3 m high
2.1455° S · 78.1055° WCentral Plaza (80×60 m)
plazaCentral plaza 80×60 m between platforms
2.1450° S · 78.1050° WCauseway Embankment (600 m×10 m)
causewayCauseway 600 m connecting southern village to central Kilimope
2.1445° S · 78.1045° W