Cara

The Cara were a Barbacoan ethnic group that lived in the northern highlands of modern Ecuador and were defined by a series of chiefdoms with their own semi-autonomous power. While the majority of local populations lived dispersed and within rural contexts, chiefly power was spiritually expressed at monumental centers. Major centers of power were Caranquí, Cayambe, Cochasquí, Otavalo, and Quinche. The role of chiefs appears to have served both political and religious functions. Collectively, the Cara had more than 60 ritual monumental centers which collectively had more than 200 massive earthen platform mounds, known locally as tolas. Many of these tolas had entry ramps as long as 300 m which led to circular temple structures on the summits. Many of these ramps terminated at important water features, such as rivers and quebradas. During the Inka Empire's conquest of the Cara in the 15th century, the region became generally known as the Kingdom of Quito.