The Mystery of Valdivia's Androgynous Figurines
The Valdivia culture is one of the oldest established in South America. It emerged from the earlier Las Vegas culture between 4000 BC and 1800 BC, thriving on the St. Helena Peninsula, near the modern-day city of Valdivia, Ecuador. Among the different artifacts, the Valdivia culture includes enigmatic androgynous figurines, presenting both male and female traits.
About 6 thousand years ago, an ancient civilization living along the coast of Ecuador began producing the first ceramic figurines to appear in America. Small, solid stone figurines, between three and five centimeters tall, have been found in some archaeological sites such as Real Alto and Loma Alta.
Obtained from calcium carbonate (but also from limestone, marble and plaster), these small figurines were made with great attention to detail, with the facial features clearly delineated.
What has puzzled researchers is the fact that the figurines often feature both male and female characteristics, such as a woman's breasts and a man's genitals. Having little information on the culture of Valdivia, this aspect of the artistic creation is particularly enigmatic.
It is thought that in the mythological tradition there was some androgynous divinity's figure, or that the figurines recall a sort of primordial perfection where there was no separation between male and female, but the unity of genders, in a similar way to the myth of 'androgynous narrated by Plato thousands of years later.
About 500 years later, the statues that begin to appear in Real Alto, despite having similar characteristics to those of their predecessors, were made with clay, a material that allows for better rendering of details. The arms of the figurines were only hinted at and the legs were separated by a triangular cut.
The majority of figurines of this period appear to be female, with prominent breasts and voluptuous bodies. However, even in this period there were androgynous figurines. Most of the figurines were found near hearths and in food preparation areas (an activity traditionally associated with women).
Based on the context, the figurines could be interpreted as a good omen for fertility. The figurines' upright position and clasped hands evoke some Native American dance positions, leading some scholars to believe that some of the Valdivia figurines represent dancing figures. However, their precise purpose remains unknown.
The Valdivia culture was discovered in 1956 by Ecuadorian archaeologist Emilio Estrada. Based on comparisons of ancient ceramic remains and styles, Estrada suggested a very close relationship between the Valdivia culture and the ancient Jōmon culture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. The theory is based on the fact that the ancient Japanese people were able to cross the Pacific Ocean as early as the 4th millennium BC.
In 2013, an international group of geneticists published a study (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1003460) revealing a genetic similarity between the two human groups, thus supporting the Japan-Valdivian contact theory.
As with other ancient cultures, that of Valdivia also appeals to the curiosity of researchers about the distant past of humanity. Cultures so ancient, yet so advanced that they have the ability to cross the ocean. The true history of our ancestors is still shrouded in mystery, and seems well represented by the enigmatic faces of Valdivia's figurines.
