390:
and Juliet of
Ecuador, and for this reason have served as a great source of information for sculptors, poets, and musicians all over the world. In general this kind of attention has been beneficial for Ecuador, drawing tourists and doubling the Santa Elena population in 20 years. During these same 20 years there was some controversy and drama about what would happen to the site and the remains. Increased oil prices prevented the country from supplying enough funds to the project to do anything beneficial other than provide guards to protect the important cultural site. Despite the lack of funds for so long, eventually the team was able to secure the site in a way that is safe for the artifacts as well as being beneficial to the cultural knowledge of the people. Modernization of Ecuador has drawn the rural people away from their lands and their traditions, but this discovery, which prompted an amazing museum as well as cultural and heritage additions to the curriculum of Santa Elena students, ensures the survival of the rich culture of this once thriving people. The Las Vegas people's customs are being preserved.
100:
381:, the first Ecuadorian culture. Las Vegas flourished from 8800 to 4600 BC along the Ecuadorian coast. Archaeologists found numerous artifacts and remains of homes and a garbage dump, but the biggest discovery was a cemetery of about 200 people. Among these remains were the bodies of the Lovers of Sumpa, or Los Amantes de Sumpa. They were found buried, and apparently embracing each other. There is much speculation as to why they died, including being stoned to death, but for most of the world it doesn't matter how they died so much as that they died and were buried together.
118:
22:
137:
407:
as discussion and learning tools. In 1997 when the country was able to provide the proper funds, the Museo
Amantes de Sumpa y Centro Cultural was opened to the public. The opening of this museum showed great cooperation between private and public institutions and is home to a variety of Las Vegas artifacts and remains. The site itself is a center for heritage resources and education, which promote the culture of Native coastal Ecuadorians.
203:
576:
399:
144:
406:
The Santa Elena archaeological site is considered a main attraction of the
Ecuadorian coast. Because Ecuador has no moral issues preventing the public display of remains, there are three burials on display, protected by glass, and teachers and archaeologists, such as Stothert, use them in teaching
389:
The discovery of the cemetery, and the Lovers of Sumpa particularly, brought a significant amount of media attention to
Ecuador, which in turn helped emphasize the importance of archaeological research to the understanding of heritage and culture. The Lovers of Sumpa have even been called the Romeo
99:
107:
Saint Helena
Empress Cathedral, Vicente Rocafuerte Central Park, Ballenita beach, El Tablazo viewpoint, monument to Vicente Rocafuerte, City hall of Saint Helena and Sumpa Regional Bus station.
434:
362:. It is regarded as the location of the most important and best documented archaeological site in the country, predominantly due to the discovery of the Lovers of Sumpa.
537:
738:
787:
446:
165:
777:
792:
530:
507:
470:
782:
523:
481:
117:
65:
43:
36:
423:
299:
378:
358:
of the same name. Santa Elena, originally called Sumpa, is located on the
Ecuadorian peninsula near the city of
136:
458:
704:
377:, asked Karen E. Stothert to excavate this pre-ceramic site. Stothert and her team found evidence of
304:
30:
565:
374:
617:
47:
351:
220:
215:
8:
592:
355:
232:
227:
342:
447:
Stothert, Karen E. "The New Role of the
Ancient Lovers of Sumpa." Working Together
724:
678:
658:
643:
515:
492:
771:
753:
740:
714:
709:
683:
180:
167:
719:
699:
597:
653:
607:
359:
289:
638:
668:
663:
602:
398:
575:
373:
In 1977 Olaf Holm, the
Director of the Anthropology Museum of the
673:
622:
508:
El Museo
Amantes de Sumpa abrirá sus puertas este primero de mayo
471:
El Museo
Amantes de Sumpa abrirá sus puertas este primero de mayo
347:
315:
208:
648:
449:. Society For American Archaeology Bulletin, n.d. Web.
545:
769:
482:Official Ecuadorian Government Information Site
531:
503:
501:
384:
538:
524:
788:1531 establishments in the Spanish Empire
498:
486:
475:
464:
452:
440:
428:
417:
66:Learn how and when to remove this message
778:Populated places in Santa Elena Province
397:
29:This article includes a list of general
770:
402:The Lovers of Sumpa (pictured in 2024)
368:
519:
341:
793:Populated places established in 1531
255:19.48 km (7.52 sq mi)
15:
705:Puerto Francisco de Orellana (Coca)
143:
13:
574:
493:"Santa Elena Archaeological Site."
35:it lacks sufficient corresponding
14:
804:
461:By Dr. Guillermo Bastidas Tello.
393:
350:, and is the capital of both the
201:
142:
135:
116:
98:
20:
783:Provincial capitals in Ecuador
553:Within regions, north to south
546:Provincial capitals in Ecuador
1:
495:Ecuador.com. Ecuador Channel.
410:
346:) is a town in southwestern
78:Town in Santa Elena, Ecuador
7:
284:2,800/km (7,300/sq mi)
10:
809:
692:
631:
585:
572:
558:
551:
310:
298:
288:
280:
272:
267:
259:
251:
246:
238:
226:
214:
196:
161:
130:
112:
97:
90:
83:
385:Significance of the Site
105:From top, left to right:
700:Nueva Loja (Lago Agrio)
435:Museo Amantes De Sumpa.
375:Central Bank of Ecuador
50:more precise citations.
579:
437:Ministerio De Turismo.
403:
343:[ˌsantaeˈlena]
339:Spanish pronunciation:
263:26 m (85 ft)
578:
401:
281: • Density
181:2.22667°S 80.85833°W
750: /
369:History of the Site
186:-2.22667; -80.85833
177: /
754:2.2267°S 80.8583°W
580:
404:
759:-2.2267; -80.8583
733:
732:
424:Citypopulation.de
332:
331:
273: • Town
252: • Town
76:
75:
68:
800:
765:
764:
762:
761:
760:
755:
751:
748:
747:
746:
743:
566:Puerto Baquerizo
540:
533:
526:
517:
516:
510:
505:
496:
490:
484:
479:
473:
468:
462:
459:Amantes de Sumpa
456:
450:
444:
438:
432:
426:
421:
345:
340:
328:
325:
323:
321:
319:
317:
207:
205:
204:
192:
191:
189:
188:
187:
182:
178:
175:
174:
173:
170:
146:
145:
139:
120:
102:
81:
80:
71:
64:
60:
57:
51:
46:this article by
37:inline citations
24:
23:
16:
808:
807:
803:
802:
801:
799:
798:
797:
768:
767:
758:
756:
752:
749:
744:
741:
739:
737:
736:
734:
729:
688:
627:
581:
570:
554:
547:
544:
514:
513:
506:
499:
491:
487:
480:
476:
469:
465:
457:
453:
445:
441:
433:
429:
422:
418:
413:
396:
387:
371:
365:
338:
314:
202:
200:
185:
183:
179:
176:
171:
168:
166:
164:
163:
157:
156:
155:
154:
153:
152:
151:
147:
126:
125:
124:
123:
108:
93:
86:
79:
72:
61:
55:
52:
42:Please help to
41:
25:
21:
12:
11:
5:
806:
796:
795:
790:
785:
780:
731:
730:
728:
727:
722:
717:
712:
707:
702:
696:
694:
690:
689:
687:
686:
681:
676:
671:
666:
661:
656:
651:
646:
641:
635:
633:
629:
628:
626:
625:
620:
615:
610:
605:
600:
595:
589:
587:
583:
582:
573:
571:
569:
568:
562:
560:
556:
555:
552:
549:
548:
543:
542:
535:
528:
520:
512:
511:
497:
485:
474:
463:
451:
439:
427:
415:
414:
412:
409:
395:
394:The Site Today
392:
386:
383:
370:
367:
330:
329:
312:
308:
307:
302:
296:
295:
292:
286:
285:
282:
278:
277:
274:
270:
269:
265:
264:
261:
257:
256:
253:
249:
248:
244:
243:
240:
236:
235:
230:
224:
223:
218:
212:
211:
198:
194:
193:
159:
158:
149:
148:
141:
140:
134:
133:
132:
131:
128:
127:
121:
115:
114:
113:
110:
109:
103:
95:
94:
91:
88:
87:
84:
77:
74:
73:
28:
26:
19:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
805:
794:
791:
789:
786:
784:
781:
779:
776:
775:
773:
766:
763:
726:
723:
721:
718:
716:
713:
711:
708:
706:
703:
701:
698:
697:
695:
691:
685:
682:
680:
677:
675:
672:
670:
667:
665:
662:
660:
657:
655:
652:
650:
647:
645:
642:
640:
637:
636:
634:
630:
624:
621:
619:
618:Santo Domingo
616:
614:
611:
609:
606:
604:
601:
599:
596:
594:
591:
590:
588:
584:
577:
567:
564:
563:
561:
557:
550:
541:
536:
534:
529:
527:
522:
521:
518:
509:
504:
502:
494:
489:
483:
478:
472:
467:
460:
455:
448:
443:
436:
431:
425:
420:
416:
408:
400:
391:
382:
380:
376:
366:
363:
361:
357:
353:
349:
344:
336:
327:
313:
309:
306:
303:
301:
297:
293:
291:
287:
283:
279:
275:
271:
266:
262:
258:
254:
250:
245:
241:
237:
234:
231:
229:
225:
222:
219:
217:
213:
210:
199:
195:
190:
162:Coordinates:
160:
138:
129:
119:
111:
106:
101:
96:
89:
82:
70:
67:
59:
49:
45:
39:
38:
32:
27:
18:
17:
735:
612:
488:
477:
466:
454:
442:
430:
419:
405:
388:
372:
364:
334:
333:
122:Coat of arms
104:
62:
53:
34:
757: /
613:Santa Elena
335:Santa Elena
294:UTC-5 hours
233:Santa Elena
221:Santa Elena
184: /
150:Santa Elena
85:Santa Elena
48:introducing
772:Categories
745:80°51′30″W
598:Portoviejo
593:Esmeraldas
411:References
268:Population
172:80°51′30″W
169:02°13′36″S
56:March 2016
31:references
742:2°13′36″S
654:Latacunga
608:Guayaquil
379:Las Vegas
360:Guayaquil
290:Time zone
260:Elevation
669:Riobamba
664:Guaranda
603:Babahoyo
354:and the
352:province
216:Province
693:Oriente
674:Azogues
623:Machala
559:Insular
348:Ecuador
311:Website
300:Climate
239:Founded
209:Ecuador
197:Country
44:improve
725:Zamora
679:Cuenca
659:Ambato
644:Ibarra
639:Tulcán
632:Sierra
356:canton
324:/gadse
318:.gadse
276:54,565
228:Canton
206:
33:, but
720:Macas
649:Quito
586:Costa
715:Puyo
710:Tena
684:Loja
320:.gob
247:Area
242:1531
92:Town
322:.ec
316:www
305:BWh
774::
500:^
539:e
532:t
525:v
337:(
326:/
69:)
63:(
58:)
54:(
40:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.