Figure, 4000-3000 BCE, 13 x 7 7/16 x 1 in. (33.02 x 18.89 x 2.54 cm), Tufa, Ecuador, 40th-29th century BCE, One of the earliest sculptural traditions of the ancient Americas was that of the Valdivia culture, which began around 3550 BC and lasted until approximately 1500 BC along the Pacific Coast of present-day Ecuador. Valdivian artists created figures out of both stone and ceramic, portraying men, women and animals in a variety of sizes. Sculptures such as this one are believed to depict a stylized owl, perhaps with supernatural associations relating to the bird's nocturnal habits.