The Imastanen Social Archeology Group is continuing its investigation and contributions towards the safeguarding and preservation of the Ethnographic and Historical Heritage of the Canary Islands. They have communicated to the heritage department of the Cabildo de Tenerife their recent discovery of two guanches rock engravings located on the site designated for a new golf course in Adeje, a leading tourist municipality in the southern region of the island, specifically in the area known as The Hoya Grande. This project also encompasses a residential area.
The collective expresses concern that, in the report previously prepared by the urban developer of this project, the existence of 19 ethnographic values and 10 archaeological values was acknowledged, yet these two engravings were overlooked. They have informed the heritage department, which has confirmed that one of the engravings was not included in the heritage study and that the other “was not even catalogued.” This suggests a lack of diligence in the archaeological reports that the developers are legally required to undertake. In projects involving such significant urban interventions, values that are already documented, and occasionally others that have not yet been considered due to the superficial nature of archaeological work, which is predominantly funded by those who are intent on obliterating them, are often omitted, the collective explains.
Members of the group led by Sixto García inform the Canary Islands that, with adequate preparation, these studies “typically conclude that the deposits will be partially or entirely impacted and that their conservation cannot be promised if the demands of the construction so necessitate.” Therefore, they caution that “integrating an engraving into a golf course—akin to what was done at Buenavista— warrants thorough examination. Moving the engravings as if it were an alterable object is not a reasonable approach when we discuss protecting, conserving, and promoting the knowledge that the traces left by the Guanches represent, which are of pride and significance to the current inhabitants of the Canarian region.”
The site where this golf course is proposed, as highlighted by that same report commissioned by the developer, “is characterised by numerous agricultural plots, linked to the former Fyffes exporting company farm, in which the presence of old crop zones, agricultural infrastructure, and dirt tracks is prevalent.” Imanasten emphasises that it is “situated between two picturesque ravines in Adeje that possess considerable biological and heritage value. Yet, here it is forecast that merely 5% of the project will be allocated for public housing. Besides transforming it into a commercial centre following the unrestricted urban plan put forth by the municipality, the project aims to become yet another tourist attraction at the expense of relentlessly eradicating agricultural land and natural areas of remarkable biodiversity. Spanning over one million square metres, this project will equate to more concrete, wastage of water, and overpopulation, once again ravaging an area that, if rehabilitated, could offer a setting of immense natural wealth, potentially evolving into a space celebrated for its landscape beauty as well as its scientific and cultural significance.”
Among the values at risk, the collective identifies an era, “one of the largest in southern Tenerife, which is regrettably deteriorating. Our group has recently verified that it has been partially ruined by vehicular traffic, leaving signs of skidding and tyre marks that have dislodged the cobblestones from the ground. This era is not classified as a cultural asset (BIC) despite possessing undeniable ethnographic importance,” they lament.
As previously mentioned, the heritage wealth of Hoya Grande is significant; however, given that it is an area transformed for agricultural use, they caution that “a proper study encompassing comprehensive analysis should be executed; that is, gathering information from surface materials and other elements of substantial scientific and cultural value. None of this is likely to occur, as the area is condemned under a new venture amidst a municipality beleaguered by corruption scandals.”
Numerous specimens of sad viborina
The environmental significance of this region is also emphasised, “boasting substantial biodiversity that, within the ravines bordering the area impacted by the urban initiative, features thermophilic refuges, alongside a considerable population of viborina or Sad nivariense echium as observed in Armeñime,” amidst the ongoing debate regarding the cradle project.
“The environmental assessment commissioned by the developer showcases, once again, their lack of precision, coupled with the haste in which such reports are compiled, aiming to mitigate obstacles in the endorsement of such reckless projects. Our group has confirmed on site that, rather than just a limited group of sad viborina as indicated in the report, which mentions a mere handful of plants in an area only slated to be impacted by access roads to the urban development and golf course, the truth is that throughout the projected boundary, there are hundreds of specimens scattered across various groups.”
The group asserts that, “in spite of the manipulations from the council regarding the transplantation and relocation of specimens—having notoriously disastrous outcomes as seen in the case of Puertito de Armeñime—the plant holds the status of an endemic species with special protection, as outlined in the Canary Islands government’s catalogue of protected species. In addition to the seedlings that populate the entire threatened area, the ground is abundant with seeds. Furthermore, this Tenerife endemicism is accompanied by numerous other botanical and indigenous fauna species that have been forced to retreat to higher elevations, which until now had escaped the urban sprawl that devastates the island, particularly in the southern municipalities.”
