An archaeological survey in the Barranco de Milanin Texina, concludes with a great discovery in the history of the Guanches: researchers document for the first time and reliably the practice of cremation as a funeral rite in the first settlers of Tenerife. He “scientific milestone” of the results of the study, commissioned in April of last year by the Cabildo de Tenerife, just been published by Insular Department of Historical Heritagewhich for this and other reasons has given the approval at the beginning of the file to declare the Barranco de Milán an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC), with the category of Archaeological Zonein the municipality of La Laguna.
This gorge, with caves hidden by abundant vegetation and located between the Tejina dam and the coast, is part of a Set that archaeologists consider “the largest preserved area of housing from the pre-Hispanic period on the entire island of Tenerife”. It is underlined by conclusions of a survey who defends «the need to preserve a large archaeological complex and an outstanding space of aboriginal occupationwhich continues upstream in the section known as Barranco de Agua de Dios», between the municipalities of Tegueste and La Laguna. Scientists highlight the “high concentration of archaeological sites” found in the Barranco de Milan.
The report describes this finding in the history of Canarian archeology as “unique”
Recent work has found in total 34 deposits in this point of Tejina but there may be more. The study itself clarifies that there are parts that are “covered by reed beds and profuse vegetation”which makes it difficult to locate new points of historical interest, so “there is the possibility that new housing or burial units can be located.”
Of the total of localized enclaves of archaeological interest, eight are habitation caves and the rest, cavities with funerary use. “This set of natural caves forms a dense settlement similar to those identified in the upper part of the Barranco de Agua de Dios, with areas designated for domestic use and others for funerary deposition,” just revealed the investigation.
The first cremation remains of the Guanches that have been confirmed in Tenerife thanks to this survey appeared in four sites in the Barranco de Milan. The study details that they found burned bonessome related to extremities –tibia, ulna-radius and fibula– and others with skullcap –the upper part of the skull–, clavicles, ribs or other small anatomical pieces.
These remains corroborate for the first time that the Guanches not only practiced a system of mummificationespecially with people related to the elites of aboriginal society, but also cremated corpses for funeral purposes.
Other remains were found but it is the first time that they have been clearly documented
These cremation remains are, according to the archaeologists hired by the Island Directorate of Historical Heritage of the Cabildo de Tenerife, “one of the most relevant aspects of the Barranco de Milán and that has contributed to proposing a declaration as BIC”. The experts rate «singular» the presence of cremation as a ritual practice among the Guanches.
«Identified for the first time in the 1980s at the Pino Leris site (La Orotava) by Lorenzo Perera, its presence was also noted in 2014 in the El Pozo area, a section of the Agua de Dios Ravine in Teguesta. But It is in the Barranco de Milan where this funerary practice has been documented in the most extensive and clear way.which is a unique and novel testimony in the context of archaeological research on the island of Tenerife”, the results of the study released yesterday emphasize.
The “scientific milestone” leads the Cabildo to open the file to declare this lagoon enclave BIC
thanks to these important findings for pre-Hispanic history of the Canary Islands, the Insular Directorate of Historical Heritage has just concluded that there are plenty of reasons to open the file that concludes in the declaration of the Barranco de Milán as an Asset of Cultural Interest. «Despite the poor state of conservation of the sites, this unit is of high archaeological interest, to which are added other elements of ethnographic and historical value present in the final section of the channel» of the Milan Ravine.
The opening of the BIC declaration file already implies protection of a space pressured by urban planning –homes, farms, waste dumps, roads…– and deteriorated by looting. In other words, from now on “only works and other actions that must be carried out due to force majeure and those other conservation and consolidation essentials to preserve the heritage values” of the Barranco de Milan will be allowed, which for the first time have been recognized in an archaeological survey.
The road to a great discovery
Request from the La Laguna City Council. June 10, 2021: The plenary session of the La Laguna City Council agrees in June 2021 to urge the Cabildo to declare the archaeological sites of the De la Fuente and Milan ravines an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC).
Response of the Council of Tenerife. June 21, 2021: The Technical Unit of Historical Heritage of the Cabildo de Tenerife responds 11 days later: the Barranco de la Fuente lacks archaeological wealth to be BIC but the Barranco de Milán does have potential.
Prospecting assignment. April 18, 2022: The Cabildo awards the Integral Management of Culture and Historical Heritage company the survey of the Barranco de Milán.
Prospecting results. July 6, 2023: The Official Gazette of the Canary Islands (BOC) published yesterday the announcement in which the Cabildo opens the file to declare the Barranco de Milán BIC for its enormous value. The archaeological study confirms for the first time remains of cremation in the Guanches.
