Converted looters: archaeology, community, and looting at coaque, North Coast of Ecuador

When the Spanish conquistador Pizarro and his troops landed in the village of Coaque in 1531, the pillage began. Considered by treasure hunters to be the city of gold, Coaque's population grew accustomed to assist them to obtain their loot. During successive economic crises, looting became an economic alternative, converting locals into expert looters. Recently, community leaders also looters stopped looting and selling artifacts, and sought ways to exhibit materials they accumulated, including the possibility of building a museum. In that context, they approached university, resulting in an integrated partnership in which the local community, academia, and even local government participate. This paper focuses on the question of why these former looters changed and now champion the defense of archaeological heritage. Drawing on ethnographic interviews with community leaders and heritage officials, we argue that access to information, institutional relationships, and a reconceptualization of archaeological context were decisive factors in this conversion.