Manabí Project is employed at a coastal zone of 20 km long, to the south of Bay of Caráquez, between the rivers Chone and Portoviejo.

From 2004, the franco-Spanish archaeological mission (CNRS-IFEA-Universidad Complutense of Madrid) is excavating the Japotó site and has already work in three field periods. These were carried out between June and July of the year 2004, 2005 and 2006. The team is composed of 12 to 15 persons for fieldwork, in the frame of an excavation programmed in accordance with the project authorized by the National Institute of Cultural heritage of the Ecuador in 2003. The prospection realized in 2002 had allowed to recognize two places: that of Japoto and that of Chirije, studied in 2003. The year 2008 has been fixed for the end of the first stage of the project. Actually, traces related to this place are distributed in areas of impact (primary and secondary) located much further of the limits foreseen in 2002. In 2007 where published a series of articles that present the first results, and a synthesis of the same ones that will be prepared between 2007 and 2008. Nevertheless, based on the results of the last period of field of the year 2006, it is glimpsed that the second stage of excavation might justify oneself, both at scientific and didactic level, between the year 2008 and 2010. For this it is needed that the sponsors would like to consider it to be necessary. If it is confirmed that in Japotó cultural levels exist consistent and abundant pre-manteños aswell as the manteños levels, it would be then important to tackle deeply this study. In fact, it is still necesary to define the existing tie between the groups pre-manteños and manteños of the region, and the excavation of a place stratigraphically differentiated that will bring an opportunity for the fulfillment of this target.

The site of Japotó, located next to the mouth of river Portoviejo, is the only coastal manteno place really important between the ports of Manta and Bay of Caraquez. The archaeological place is approximately 2 km from the coastal profile, where the people of San Jacinto is placed. It spreads along 50 to 60 hectares, or maybe more. The excavations concentrate on the central area of the place, on a farm of 20 hectares. This place belongs to the last prehispanic period before the European contact (700-800 D.C. - XVIth century). It presents an exceptional interest because is the only pre-Hispanic place with artificial mounds well preserved on the central coast of Manabí.

More…
The web page of the project in the portal of the French Department of Foreign Affairs (in French).
The publication of the report of activities, realized by the IFEA.
The page of the project in the portal of the UMR 8096 of the CNRS (in French).
The page of the project in the portal of U. Of Alcala de Henares of Madrid (in Spanish).