Following reports from several residents of the municipalities of Arico and Adeje in southern Tenerife, and after conducting the necessary inspections, the social archaeology collective Imastanen has highlighted new damages to Guanche rock carvings. These issues mainly stem from scratches and graffiti, but also from a prevalent practice popularised by some enthusiasts of the Guanche culture: the covering of these sites with large stones, ostensibly to conceal and protect them. Ironically, this seemingly protective measure results in the opposite effect, causing damage to the engravings due to the very rocks that hide them, leading to irreversible harm.
Concerning the engravings in Arico, the area is traversed by a “fairly busy” pathway, and therefore, they advocate for its inclusion in “an archaeological interpretation route.” This route would enhance both protection and visibility for educational purposes. They note that “similar initiatives have been successfully implemented on other islands” to promote awareness and understanding.
Moreover, they caution that this region also witnesses “illegal clay pigeon shooting activities,” as evidenced by the numerous remnants of plastic plates, cartridges, and other waste left by those who frequent the area without acknowledging its cultural significance. If the relevant institutions responsible for safeguarding indigenous heritage, beginning with the Arico town council and extending to the legal mandates of the Cabildo and the regional Government, adhered to Law 11/2019 and adopted measures to ensure “the protection, study, and healthy dissemination of the Canarian indigenous material legacy,” such occurrences could be averted.
The collective is deeply concerned about the new tactics employed by groups of archaeology enthusiasts, who are engaging in practices that involve “covering sites with stones and cleaning them with brushes, if not directly with their hands or branches.” They warn that this action adversely affects the surface patina of the stone, where remnants of Guanche rock engravings still exist, particularly when water is applied to enhance their visibility in the sunlight. This causes temperature fluctuations that can lead to fragmentation of the already eroded superficial layer of stone, which has been worn down by natural elements as well as by lichens, roots, and plants. In their attempts to be helpful, these individuals are, in fact, inflicting damage, largely due to a lack of understanding and, more crucially, the indifference displayed by the authorities charged with their care and preservation.
As they explain, similar incidents have been observed in Guía de Isora and Adeje, “to mention just a few recent examples.” Large stones obscuring deposits create an abrasive effect when repeatedly removed to view the engravings, only to be covered again. This action results in the deterioration of the surface that houses them. In the case of the impacted site in Arico, these engravings are relatively well-known, and due to their visibility and accessibility, a member of this collective previously alerted technicians from the Heritage Division of the Cabildo for cataloguing. They had hoped this would lead to effective measures that would enhance their protection and monitoring. However, as is often the case in Tenerife, no action has been taken thus far.
Yearly Review
The members of Imastanen lament that 2024 “has been a disastrous year concerning indigenous material heritage in the Canary Islands, particularly on Tenerife, where destructive acts and plunder, alongside misguided practices by amateurs, are compounded by the negligence of local authorities and the vulnerable state of the sites due to historical neglect. This results in the continual loss of these invaluable testimonies of the history of the Canary Islands, driven by ignorance from both locals and visitors, but predominantly by the prioritisation of commercial interests, which, with the complicity of various local governments, persist in ravaging areas of immense natural and archaeological significance.”
The group continues to urge the political leaders of various municipalities “to recognise the significance of the Guanche heritage once and for all.”
