Visual Identity Based on Ancestral Iconography: A Strategy for Re-Evaluation of the Caranqui Cultural Heritage in the Gualimán Archaeological Site (Ecuador)

Abstract

Iconography is one of the most powerful ways to express the cultural identity of a community through the creation of symbols that promote its re-evaluation, although it is not always used as a way to promote this cultural development. The aim of this research is to emphasize visual identity based on ancestral iconography as a strategy in the re-evaluation of the Caranqui culture and in the transmission of knowledge about the archaeological site of Gualimán. The methodology consisted of a documentary analysis of the civilization, which was completed with in-depth interviews with the managers and a survey of 295 residents. The obtained results have allowed us to deepen our understanding of the Caranqui culture, identifying vehicles to promote its re-evaluation. Among the conclusions is that the contribution of an identity based on its own symbols reinforces the feeling of belonging and turns its inhabitants into bearers of their own ancestral legacy.

1. Introduction

Visual identity is not only a symbolic representation but also a way to reinforce the creation of a new system of values and attributes expressed in the recognition and strengthening of identities. [1]. This form of representation, in the heritage and cultural rescue of sites inhabited by ancient civilizations, generates an interest in society in terms of the cultural identity of countries with ancestral legacies from all over the world.

In Ecuador, there are few existing projects to promote ancestral culture. In the 1960s, foreign designers were inspired by pre-Columbian archaeological pieces, creating a series of illustrations and, with their work, signaling the beginning of the appreciation of the country’s cultural legacy [2]. Currently, there is bibliographic material that shows a cultural collection of the ancestors and serves as inspiration for artists, painters, and designers. These works can be appreciated in the network of museums of the Central Bank of Ecuador [3], in the León Ricaurte and Frederick Shaffer book catalog [4,5], in Peter Mussfeldt’s etchings [6], and in the fashion industry with Vanesa Zuñiga’s work based on the Andean cosmovision [7], among others.

In the case of the Caranqui community, the archaeological site of Gualimán, located in Ecuador, which has an extensive cultural legacy is spread throughout the north of the country. In ancient times, Gualimán was a ceremonial center of worship and rituals, where great archaeological remains were built, such as the “tolas”, the “camellones”, the hydraulic works for irrigation, and the great pyramids [8]. Currently, Gualimán is a place that stands out for its natural and archaeological resources, which is also dedicated to ecotourism activities, although there is no evidence of a “consideration of identity through ancestral iconography”.

Cultural re-evaluation is nowadays a topic of great interest to which more and more work is being devoted around the world, such as the project “Protection of cultural heritage during the COVID-19 pandemic”, dedicated to highlighting the risks threatening heritage in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan [9]; the “Canta Wawa Project” [10], which seeks to rescue and revalue the Amazonian languages native to Peru or “La noche blanca” (The White Night) [11] as a cultural attempt to promote art; and others. However, it is not very common to find works that present the convergence between visual identity and ancestral iconography to use it in the creation of symbols that unify and reinforce the sense of identity of its inhabitants. This problem is especially serious in places at risk of abandonment and can even be due to the low interest in ancestral manifestations, as in the case of the Gualimán archaeological site.

Therefore, the main aim of this work is to take advantage of the visual identity based on ancestral iconography to revalue the Caranqui culture in the Gualimán archaeological site. The following sections comprise the structure of this work: (1) a brief introduction; (2) a section exploring concepts of cultural identity, territorial identity, and visual identity based on ancestral iconography and its application to the Caranqui civilization, with the study of the Andean semiotic and chromatic interpretation of the archaeological vestiges; and (3) a section addressing the methodology used, highlighting the participation of a significant number of the inhabitants of the Peñaherrera parish, as well as the unstructured interviews with the managers of the Gualimán archaeological site. Finally, the results are shown and some proposals for action are put forward as a conclusion.

2. Cultural, Territorial, and Visual Identity in Ancestral Iconography

2.1. Cultural Identity, Values, and Heritage

The culture is one of the most powerful ways of collective identity from which several dimensions and social functions are released [12], and it is an initiating strategic axis in the construction of the identity of a territory brand, which contributes to its economic, social, and environmental renewal, providing its competitiveness [13]. According to UNESCO [14] culture is considered as “a set of distinctive spiritual, material and emotional features that characterize a society or social group, including, in addition to arts and literature, ways of life, fundamental human rights, value systems, beliefs and traditions”. Among these distinctive features, especially in the spiritual ones, is its cultural identity, which embodies a sense of belonging to a collective that shares powerful cultural traits. This cultural identity is not unalterable, which means it is shared, recreated, and constantly powered by outside influence. In addition, it is influenced by the local community who maintains the heritage and transmits it from generation to generation and expresses “its emotions, its feelings and its identity in a certain way” [15].

Cultural identity stands out for its dynamism in which the receiving society is very present and actively contributes to shaping the cultural heritage by identifying the elements it wishes to value, assuming them as its own and, in a habitual way, they become identity referents [16]. Sometimes, identity is linked and perceived because it is present in living elements; although, as García-Alonso [17] points out, it can be latent in other cultural manifestations or heritage elements that have “disappeared” over time and are recovered thanks to the documentation efforts and dedication of historians, chroniclers, associations dedicated to the conservation of heritage, and festival organizers, among others.

The concept of identity, in general, is circumscribed to territoriality and becomes more concrete as one goes deeper into a smaller territorial unit. It is possible to speak of the identity of a country, but this identity becomes more concrete and delimited (profiled and adjusted) as we approach the idiosyncrasies of the peoples and their inhabitants [18]. Identity is a fundamental element in a territory because it gathers those essential features of the place (attractions and values) that make it unique and singular and is strongly linked to heritage, constituting an indissoluble binomial, which, in addition to being a symbolic reference and a sign of identity [19], represents a key factor in the improvement of life in societies [20].

According to Reynosa [21] “Identity is directly related to traditions, habits and customs, prejudices and the way of thinking rooted in the mentality of the people, expressed in class ideology”. Likewise, as this author expresses, there is a relationship that links identity and tradition, as well as the role of the individual’s conscience and subconsciousness, artistic creation, and the preservation of cultural heritage.

2.2. Visual Identity and Ancestral Iconography

One way of expressing identity is through the iconography of the people to which it belongs. Symbolic elements are a positive influence to recognize the past, revalue culture, awaken the interest of a population, and achieve social cohesion. The cultural legacy is important for a society because it is the history between individual and collective memory [22], what a village has managed to preserve, and what distinguishes it, but it is meaningless when it is not recognized and valued in its own territory. Despite the inevitable disconnection of any culture, Warbug’s cultural–historical perspective establishes the importance of these visual representations as privileged carriers of collective memory, recognizing the various significant layers that enclose their visual production and the different subjects involved in their social production, which allows a historical reconstruction through the latent bipolarity between the symbolic forms “as engrams of passionate experience that survive as heritage preserved in memory” [23].

Identity not only represents “what the organization is” but also “what it represents in society” [24], and thus identity reflects the essence of the organization, based on a series of elements, such as organizational culture, structure, behavior, communication, and identity elements, that, when well-managed, confer benefits to organizations. Visual identity is responsible for capturing the essence of the community and is easy to remember and recognize; Wheeler purports that it “triggers the perception and associations of the brand and provides information about the world” [25], which makes it significantly relevant in strategic brand planning [26] and communication of a cultural legacy site.

Similarly, visual identity is the iconic representation of an organization and the set of aspects that define its character or personality [27]. Different considerations coincide with the idea that the visual identity is a symbolic representation that must be concrete and consistent with what is to be transmitted, consisting of the denominative part or naming, symbolic part, chromatic range, and typography [28,29,30,31,32]. In addition, these authors point out that this set of components should be duly captured and synthesized in an identity manual.

Visual identity is created from perceptions as a result of communicational actions and strategies. According to [33], identity (reality) and image (perception) are two sides of the same coin, so that an organization with positive perceptions will reflect its identity by reflecting coherence in its management. In the case of visual identity applied to an ancestral place, archaeology is responsible for its formation in that it provides identity (reality) by testifying to the roots and vestiges, such as the material memories of the collective historical memory that generate knowledge, which, if not communicated, would constitute a privilege for small interest groups and a risk to heritage [34]. In addition, this development of the visual identity, would seek to revalue the ancestral culture as a central axis and key element, both for its symbolic component and for identification. On this basis, visual elements, such as the use of the chromatic and typographic range, are fundamental in this re-evaluation. As for color, it is argued that it influences the human being because it differs according to the different civilizations depending on their meanings by the culture they represent [35]. The following table (

Table 1. Meaning of the Andean color.

Color	Aymara Language	Meaning
Red	Chupika	Pachamama. Mother Earth, the telluric energy. The material world, the visible.
Orange	Kallapi	Jaqi. To assume responsibility and understand the magnitude of being people when the duality of “chacha-warmi” (man-woman) complements each other.
Yellow	Q’illu	Ayni. Reciprocity and complementarity; the energy that unites all forms of existence.
White	Janq’u	Pacha. Time and space. Place and time. Cyclical history. A way of life in harmony with the whole multiverse.
Green	Chuxña	Manqhapacha. Life and dynamics in the inner world. Akapacha. Life and dynamic in this world, in this plane.

) shows the main Andean colors used and a description of their meaning [36].

In any case, as Panofsky pointed out as early as 1972, iconography is a valid source for understanding and communicating history, their iconic symbols give evidence of the territorial identity centered on the study of the origin, the development of images and their symbolic relationships, constituting a major precedent in archaeology, architecture, and graphic design [37].

However, from the iconography, starting from its image, the cultural symbols themselves serve as elements for the construction of identity from its conceptualization, allowing the visual to bring us closer to its meanings, its historical context, and its hidden messages. The strategic creation of the visual identity through the consistent use of elements (iconography) that connect with its essence can positively influence the community. In addition, the knowledge obtained because of this strategic identity creation process, made available to the population, allows the shaping of social behavior towards a solid affirmation of its own culture. The knowledge of the host communities is a fundamental element in projecting cultural identity through communication and promotional activities.

Therefore, visual identity involves much more than aesthetics and style, although in the tourism industry, beauty plays an important role, since the visual/aesthetic is the first element with which tourists come into contact [38]; however, visual identity is the basis for the valorization of elements associated with the entity it represents, which allows the simplifying of complex intangible systems, promoting the competitiveness of the territory [39] and the creation of strong emotional bonds and feelings of identification [40].

An example of strategic creation of visual identity is found in the indigenous culture of the Canary Islands in Spain where ancestral symbols did not arouse interest until the 19th century. Thanks to a long process of identity creation that took place between 1877 and 1881, three scientific societies were created, the Gabinete Científico in Tenerife, the Museo Canario in Gran Canaria, and La Cosmológica in La Palma, with the aim of studying the past, founding museums and obtaining the valuation of the indigenous material legacy and obtaining the recognition of archaeological heritage for them [41]. It is worth mentioning the impulse given to the indigenous symbols of the Canary Islands at the end of the 1970s, which were regularly and frequently present in the daily life of the islands. A factor that stands out is the diffusion of aboriginal symbology through non-scientific publications that managed to demonstrate the lack of knowledge and to increase the interest of the Canary Islanders in their past.

In relation to valuation, it is convenient to distinguish between social and scientific recognition of heritage elements. Social recognition is related to the popularity and transcendence of the property in society. Scientific recognition is linked to knowledge and dissemination by the scientific community and does not always coincide with the valuation of both recognitions [42].

Nowadays, it is common to find the Canary Islands pre-Hispanic graphics in any form of design, whether for ideological or personal reasons or simply for aesthetic reasons, but undoubtedly the recovery and democratization was the beginning of that normalization, dissemination, and revaluation that coincides with the advance of archaeological science in the 1980s and 1990s [41]. In this way, we try to highlight the importance of the use of iconography as a reference for the recognition and re-evaluation of cultural legacies, such as the use of engravings or cave paintings in the works of painters, designers, and sculptors, even in the logos of private companies, the textile industry, or many other objects.

Archaeological sites, for their part, materialize representations of identity and play a fundamental role in the construction of social memory and collective reflection. These sites are instruments of memory that function as mechanisms for the reconstruction of the past, through their material and visual representation, which is instituted as a socializing instrument [43], a contribution to encourage collective reflection is to extract elements that contain intrinsic, specific messages to the cultures of the territory in question and apply them in brand elements, such as graphic identifiers, symbols, and visual identity systems in general [44], which would help to reinforce the identification of citizens with the place where they live [45].

The importance of the role of social agents (“communities, groups and in some cases individuals”) in the recognition of heritage is emphasized, as well as the fact that the dimension is not only historical (“transmitted from generation to generation”) but also evolutionary and of the heritage process (“permanently recreated”) and that its function is identitarian for the social agents to whom this heritage will give a “feeling of identity” [46]. The recovery of cultural manifestations, such as customs and traditions that are part of the intangible cultural heritage, including festivals that are known and recovered by themselves, becoming the bearers of these cultural manifestations, thus, promote the maintenance and recovery of identity, requiring both governmental and private reinforcement. These necessary reinforcements favor an appropriation of the cultural legacy through practices that consolidate the creative economies, crafts, art, and tourism.

2.3. Case Study

Gualimán is located 1700 m above sea level, in the parish of Peñaherrera, Intag Valley-Cotacachi Canton of the province of Imbabura, Ecuador. It is an archaeological site that currently hosts ecotourism activities as a form of territorial development. Its name comes from the Quichua word wari, which means “luminous star” and man, “towards”, “sacred site dedicated to the star of dawn”. In relation to the etymology of the name Gualimán, it is emphasized that it is related to the symbols captured in one of its pyramids, a jealously guarded 11-pointed star that they associate with the natural environment and represents the terrestrial and stellar orientation system, which certifies their knowledge and relationship with the cosmos [47], to a vessel found at the site and to the meaning of its name in Quichua, “to the star of dawn”, so named by Econ. Auki Tituaña in 2011.

In the past, Gualimán was a ceremonial center inhabited by the Caranqui civilization, as evidenced by the pottery, stones, defense weapons, tolas, pyramids, and skeletons found in the area [48]. It currently has facilities and equipment for tourist use, such as a museum, a small restaurant, lodgings, eco-trails, viewpoints, and a canopy considered one of the largest in the country, which is 800 m long and 320 m high.

The Caranquí culture comes from the indigenous word “Karanki”, native from the Cakchiquel Maya “Qala”, which means greatness, authority, and supremacy, and “Ki”, which means site. Together, these two words indicate that it is a place of greatness, supremacy, and authority [49].

Before the Inca conquest, the region between the Guayllabamba and Mira rivers in northern Ecuador was an area of great development for the North Andean world, named as the “Caranqui” area by some historians. Its development process began in the formative period between 700 BC and 250 AD with the “La Chimba” cultural sequence; it continued with the phases of the ethnic lordships around 300 AD and had a strong consolidation between 700 and 1470, managing to build large works, such as “tolas”, the “camellones”, and irrigation works, which allowed an important productive intensification, building powerful exchange networks and a confederation close to a state formation, which had the ability to resist the Incas for 10 to 17 years (1480–1490).

Each settlement of the Cara culture opened spaces between slopes bounded by rivers or streams, with staggered enclosures to build quadrangular pyramids, tolas, burial mounds, and houses, in addition to the truncated pyramids in the form of T and ramp; on these pyramids were settled buildings and houses [50].

3. Materials and Methods

The methodological development of this work consists of three clearly differentiated parts. First, an exhaustive review of the existing literature on the concepts of identity and especially ancestral iconography was carried out, with the aim of establishing the relationship between cultural identity and the visual elements that represent it and to analyze and interpret these findings by means of historiographic resources, etymological dictionaries, and scientific articles. Additionally, content analysis [51] in the first ancestral iconographic inventory of Ecuador presented by the Sinchi Sacha Foundation [52] and in the online channels of the Gualimán archaeological site were used to examine the communicational strategies and the verification of the existence or not of visual elements applied on the website www.gualiman.com (accessed on 8 February 2022), in the Facebook fan page and in the Instagram social network profile (@gualiman).

Secondly, in-depth interviews were conducted in situ with the managers of the Gualimán archaeological site to learn about the beginnings of its formation over the years, the findings of the vestiges of the Caranqui culture, the existence or not of governmental aid to protect this ancestral legacy, and current communication actions. This tool also served to contrast the information obtained in the surveys on the interest and affluence of residents and visitors to the area.

Lastly, the collected information was triangulated using a quantitative approach by doing a survey of 295 residents of the Cotacachi canton between the ages of 15 and 75, considering the data shown by INEC (National Institute of Statistics and Census) of the population projection by age made in 2010, where the sum of the ages of the study for the year 2022, results in a population of 20,993 inhabitants. This sample is measured on a finite population, with a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of 5%. The information was collected from 27 February to 2 March 2022. In

Table 2. Sample description.

Variable	N	(%)
Gender
Male	164	56%
Female	131	44%
Age
15 to 25	47	16%
26 to 35	80	27%
36 to 45	98	33%
46 to 75	70	24%
Self-identification
Mestizo	193	65%
Indigenous	76	26%
Afro-Ecuadorian	15	5%
White	9	3%
Montubio	1	0%
Other	1	0%
Education
Not stated	10	3%
Post graduate	8	3%
Superior	39	13%
Post baccalaureate	32	11%
High school	44	15%
Elementary	120	41%
Literacy center	10	3%
None	32	11%
Economic activities
Agriculture and livestock	135	46%
Manufacturing industry	30	10%
Construction	15	5%
Trade	20	7%
Instruction	25	8%
Other activities	70	24%

, the socio-demographic variables of the sample, including self-identification, education characteristics, and economic activities, are described.

The questionnaire consisted of four closed questions and one open. In

Table 3. Objectives and survey questions.

Objective	Question
To know the interest of the residents regarding the Gualimán archaeological site.	(1) Have you visited the Gualimán archaeological site? Yes ___ No___
Determine whether the meaning of the word “Gualiman” is known.	(2) Do you know the meaning of the word Gualiman? Yes ___ No___ If your answer is Yes, write the meaning
To identify which culture is associated with the archaeological site, according to the inhabitants.	(3) Which of the following cultures do you think lived Gualimán in the past? Caranqui or Cara ___ Inca___ Cañari___ Does not know___
To demonstrate the level of identification that the inhabitants have about the material symbols of the past.	(4) Which of the following archaeological remains do you think the culture that once lived in Gualimán is known for? Ceramics ___ Ceremonial burial___ Tolas ___ Does not know___
To find out the consideration of the inhabitants in the use of ancestral iconography as a means of identification and cultural revalorization.	(5) Do you consider that the application of ancestral iconography in the visual identity of “Gualimán” would help in its identification and re-evaluation of cultural assets

, the questions and the specific objectives to be accomplished with each one of them are listed.

These techniques were complemented by the participant observation performed at the archaeological site.

4. Results/Discussion

4.1. Visual Identity in the Caranqui Culture at the Gualimán Archaeological Site

The visual identity is presented in significant heritage elements, such as the 38 tolas or funerary mounds; the ceremonial center, also called Temple of the Sun; a purification fountain; and three pyramids. The truncated pyramid (Figure 1) stands out, measuring 50 × 30 m and 11 m high with an elongated ramp of 67 m. Inside are retaining walls built with blocks of cangahua, which is a mixture of volcanic rocks found in the form of loose soil or as a block hardened by humidity. It should be remembered that the pyramids were buildings for the houses of the chiefs, scenarios to approach the stars and represent the path of the sun, temples, and even meteorological instruments to predict the weather, rains, and winds.

The iconographic contribution in the truncated pyramid is present in its basic quadrangular geometric shapes, typical of the Caranqui culture, which would allow the creation of patterns and typographic production that identifies the culture. On the other hand, the funerary mounds or tolas are round and smaller in relation to the pyramid; they are approximately 30 m in diameter and 3 to 5 m high; a round and staggered burial pit is generally dug.

In the ceremonial center, or Temple of the Sun (Figure 2), Andean ceremonies are held to commemorate the arrival of the solstices and equinoxes on 21 March, 21 June, 23 September, and 22 December. These ceremonies are held between 06:15 and 06:45 h in the morning when the sun sets over the pyramid, forming a chalice with a high spiritual content. The main symbol that appears in this construction is an 11-pointed star whose meaning is related to its name, Gualiman, which means “towards the bright star” and to the geo-astronomical position where this culture lived, which is very conducive to accurately defining the passage of the sun through the equatorial line and the maximum points of its annual journey, as well as the rising and setting of the stars that accompany these unique events.

Similarly, another interesting resource where the ancestral iconography of the Caranqui culture is present is in ceramics. In general, it is observed that, although it does not seem perfected, they are found in shoe-shaped vessels, tripods, globular pots, compoteras, and pitchers with certain particular characteristics; the predominant color in this culture is red and its iconography is composed by basic geometric designs, such as circles, squares, and triangles; with these figures they formed other spirals and stars of several points (Figure 3), which were combined with anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, and geometric figurines in which felines, birds, etc., stand out (Figure 4).

Regarding the iconographic inventory of the Sinchi Sacha Foundation [44], the most representative designs of the Caranqui culture found in the Gualimán archaeological site are extracted (Figure 5). Anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figurines and geometric forms alluding to the sun and stars stand out.

Additionally, this analysis was completed with the observation of the presence in social networks of the archaeological site Gualimán. This presence is found in the social networks Facebook and Instagram (Figure 6); in both cases, there is no consistent visual unit that shows an image with coherent management. Likewise, the absence of identity in the identified web page www.gualiman.com/ (accessed on 8 February 2022) is highlighted, which has little information (Figure 7).

The following table (

Table 4. Identity and communication analysis at Gualimán.

Gualimán Archaeological Site
Identity
Elements	Identification	Observations
Graphic identifier (logo)	Does have	Uses several logos of different colors and typographies. It presents the isotype of a base; there are no essential identity features. It does not constitute a powerful identifier of the Caranqui culture.
Brand personality	Not defined	There is a perceived absence of a model that identifies it and frames it with distinctive characteristics.
Voice tone	Does have	Distant because when expressing itself, it fails to connect with visitors and is not very flexible because it does not adapt to the type of communication it presents.
Brand mantra	Does not have
Visual identity system	Does not have	Non-distinctive, non-uniform brand identity. They are presented in many forms and with a variety of colors in the different fonts.
Communicational strategies
Elements		Detail
Type and frequency of communication	Inconsistent	Informative approach. It communicates material and immaterial attributes. Conveys experiences. Does not generate engagement. Interaction almost null. Does not create links.
Oficial website	Does have	Basic, no graphic identifier. Own management.
Digital channels	Does have	Facebook: presents 3 different fan pages. Instagram: no graphic identifier anywhere.
Content verticals	Does have	No information is generated by blocks, there is cultural communication but very general.
Brand awareness	Does have	There is no notoriety due to the lack of active communication. Lack of brand communication uniformity in its channels, which affects Gualimán’s image.

) shows information on the current visual identity and communication strategies present in the digital channels available for the archaeological site of Gualimán.

Similarly, there is an absence of visual representations of ancestral iconography in the development of corporate material (brochures, entrance tickets, or stationery). The visual identity takes into consideration the meanings of the Andean color in relation to the particularities of the Caranqui culture where red, white, and green predominate, which should be considered both for the application of its graphic identifier because it is the most visible representation of a destination for its target group and is essential for a global strategy creating market opportunities [53], as well as in the realization of documents, merchandising, and souvenirs available to visitors of the archaeological site.

4.2. Interview and Survey Analysis

First, prior to conducting the interviews, participant observation at the Gualimán archaeological site allowed us to learn about the legacy of the Caranqui culture, skeletons, vessels, pyramids, Temple of the Sun, and ceremonial fountain. Additionally, this observation served to confirm the use of various typographies for the naming of the archaeological site (Figure 8) and the total absence of graphic elements that associate or identify the culture that lived there in the past.

The results of the interviews with the managers of the Gualimán archaeological site showed the interest of the managers in the enhancement of the Caranqui cultural heritage, which was favored thanks to the conservation and protection works sponsored by the Pereira family in 1969. Later, they have incorporated actions of dynamization by means of the design and the realization of tourist–cultural activities, which suppose an engine of development in their locality at the present time.

Among the cultural actions, the managers highlight the efforts made to promote and disseminate their cultural manifestations, taking advantage of important moments, such as the celebration of the solstices and equinoxes in the pyramid Temple of the Sun. These actions are carried out jointly with the Quichua community of Cotacachi. They also use the social network Facebook to promote these activities and reach a greater number of visitors. However, they are aware that these actions are scarce, lack strategy, and above all do not reflect the essential identity traits of the Caranqui heritage legacy.

In relation to the interpreted themes, the managers of the Caranqui archaeological site emphasize the importance of keeping rituals alive as a predominant way of identification and cultural re-evaluation. Thus, through invitations for energetic harmonization, healing days, and therapeutic retreats, they show the importance that this culture gave to the ceremonies of the straight sun, directly linked to the understanding of the relevance of the cosmovision of the natural environment.

The absence in the definition of its identity elements in the communication and the lack of use of the culture’s own symbolisms increases the lack of knowledge and interest in the area’s ancestral manifestations on the part of its inhabitants. In fact, most visitors to the Guilimán archaeological site are foreign tourists (Germans, Americans, and Canadians), according to data provided by the tourism administration.

Lastly, Gualimán does not have a graphic identifier according to the attributes and symbology of the culture that inhabited the place nor is its chromatics used with Andean meanings or the red engobe (mixture of clay) associated with its ceramic pieces, typical of the Caras community; it uses very varied typographies in the communications made by digital media. This leads to the absence of successful applications that use visual identity, applying ancestral iconography as a central axis in digital media, promotional items, and environmental applications as necessary as the signage that has a great functionality in places, such as this one.

In relation to the surveys, the results obtained from the questionnaire applied to 295 inhabitants show a low level of identification of the material symbols of the past, such as vessels, pyramids, burial mounds, or the purification fountain. It is evident that the heritage elements have not awakened the interest of the residents (Imbabureños) to visit the Gualimán archaeological site (47% of those surveyed have never visited it). In addition, this information reinforces that obtained from interviews with site managers, who indicate that the visitors most interested in Gualimán’s culture are mostly foreign tourists.

According to the surveys, the results were collected from a questionnaire applied to 295 inhabitants, 65% of whom consider themselves mestizos, taking into consideration that they have a high indigenous population, which could be an indication of lack of knowledge or lack of acceptance of their origin; the sample included a relative equality of gender, and it should be highlighted that 41% of the inhabitants have primary school education.

Based on the five questions asked, the following data are collected:

(1)

It is proved that the heritage elements have not caused residents to be interested in visiting the Gualimán archaeological site; 47% of those who were consulted have never visited it. Additionally, this information supports the one obtained through interviews with site managers, who indicate that the most interested visitors in Gualimán’s culture are mainly foreign tourists.

(2)

100% of the inhabitants of the area are unaware of the meaning of the word Gualimán.

(3)

The high level of lack of knowledge about the culture in general is noted in the results, since 51% of those surveyed think that it was the Incas who inhabited Gualimán. Only 17% were aware that the Caranqui culture was the one that settled here.

(4)

A low level of identification of the material symbols of the past is shown, such as vessels, pyramids, funerary mounds, or the purification fountain. However, in relation to the identification of the most significant and predominant archaeological remains in the area, 59% are familiar with the function of the tolas as a funerary object.

(5)

For the last question of the questionnaire, the contributions of the inhabitants were fundamental to learning about the appreciation of the archaeological site; they consider it important but at the same time distant and inaccessible for a lot of them; it is confirmed that they know about its existence and believe that its main attractions are the canopy and the Temple of the Sun. They also state that the rituals that are performed should be communicated through radio besides social networks because not everyone uses them. They express that it is a site of great interest and high affluence of foreigners for the celebrated rituals. In reference to the application of ancestral iconography to promote cultural value, making it a strategy for preservation and revaluation, 60% of those surveyed agree with the initiative; they consider that it would be appropriate to identify it and encourage visits by residents and foreigners to the area.

5. Conclusions

Iconography constitutes a central axis of communication and an essential element for the identification and dissemination of culture; its application from the graphic identifier that represents a heritage site, a museum, or an archaeological site is undoubtedly a starting point that allows the visual to connect with history, becoming a valuable tool for a correct interpretation of cultural heritage [54]. This research demonstrates that visual identity is enriched by the graphic manifestations of the Caranqui cultural legacy, revealing that the traditional and the modern are not opposed to each other but rather serve each other. Bringing the past closer to the present requires an adequate management of the identity that can be established in all its representations.

Visual identity management focused on transmitting identity messages through symbols and their visual components should be considered a priority. The lack of these elements, both in its graphic identifiers, in their online channels, and in the Gualimán archaeological site, generate a gap between the site and the local population that results in the undervaluation of cultural assets. However, this cultural identification would be more powerful with the right information management and appropriate promotional and communication strategies. For example, the use of local symbols on souvenirs reinforces the cultural heritage presented to visitors. The development of the differential image should be treated from an ancestral iconographic basis as a meaningful and relevant representation of the cultural legacy of an archaeological site; in particular, this will influence not only the identification of its residents but also the selection processes and behaviors of upcoming tourists [55].

In a similar way, the creation of visual identity strategies based on ancestral iconography is a way to reinforce the creation of a new value system expressed in the recognition of the identity of a territory.

The results of the surveys shows that cultural representations embodied in assets, products, and services generate a sense of belonging to a group, a territory, and a community and can create forms of appropriation and appreciation of the cultural legacy, enabling identification processes [54]. In Cotacachi, cultural richness is evident; its archaeological remains clearly represent the roots of the Caranqui culture, whose symbolism identifies the reality of its ancestral worldview. However, this cultural legacy is not used in any of its communicational representations, the red color that identifies the faces is used infrequently and its iconography is not used to reinforce the relevance of the territory in the Imbabureños, which causes less interest in getting to know it.

All survey respondents do not know the meaning of the name Gualimán, there is a high level of ignorance about the culture that inhabited the site and a low level of identification, with respect to the material symbols of the past. This results shows the low impact of the actions that the archaeological site carries out, indicating that placing its meaning together with the graphic identifier would be appropriate to achieve synergy between the symbolic and denominative components. In the case of visual identity, the iconographic elements of the Caranqui culture provide an excellent method for its recognition, strengthening, and revaluation.

Furthermore, participant observation and in-depth interviews reveal the social and business evolution that has led to the development of cultural tourism specialized in archaeology, which complements other traditional forms of tourism, such as sun, beach, or even ecotourism. In addition, this change in the tourism model is a commitment to sustainable development (economic, environmental, and social), giving glimpses of the paradigm shift based on the interest to know and encounter the archaeological heritage of this territory.

On their part, the managers of this archaeological site carry out fundamental work as an introduction to the enhancement of Caranqui culture, however, it is not enough. Governmental support is needed to support adequate branding and communication management in favor of the conservation and protection of the Caranqui cultural heritage located in the Gualimán archaeological site and to project this legacy to the Imbaburan territory.

In conclusion, the necessary and correct use of the visual identity in the Gualimán archaeological site is confirmed, which requires an identity proposal based on the ancestral iconography that is agreed by the Imbaburan community, which should be shown in the creation of the graphic brand, which is extremely important, since it begins with the understanding of the nature of the identity of the place and recognition of its cultural attributes [56], then it should be transferred to printed graphic applications, promotional or corporate items, souvenirs, digital applications to contribute to the reinforcement of the culture, and to initiate an alternative for sustainable growth.

6. Limitations and Future Lines of Research

This work is not free of limitations. Defending ancestral iconography as a starting point in the valuation of culture, it is understood that, by itself, it could not achieve the knowledge and valuation of an archaeological site without a set of tools that support and validate the success of this contribution. This research is also motivation for the future development of research, such as designing studies to learn about the most efficient communication strategies aimed at cultural rescue, reflecting on the role of the graphic representation of ancestral identity applied to the tourism sector, and branding as a way to sustainably enhance the value of ancestral cultural heritage or in the generation of tourism experiences.