Santa Cruz de Tenerife 26 Feb. (Europa Press) –
The second vice-president of the Cabildo de Tenerife, José Miguel Ruano, has described the decision made by the Ministry of Culture to remove the mummy of Erques from its public display at the National Archaeological Museum in Madrid as “unexpected, unilateral, and unlawful.” This follows the publication by state museums on Monday of the ‘letter of commitment on the ethical treatment of human remains’, which entails the removal of human remains currently housed in their facilities.
During a press conference regarding agreements from the Insular Government Council, Ruano emphasised that the decision to withdraw the Guanche mummy from Tenerife’s public exhibition was executed “arbitrarily,” suggesting that a matter affecting the public should not have been addressed solely through a letter rather than through the legislative authority of the State.
“Once again, we assert that the Guanche mummy must be returned to the island, to the rightful place where it belongs and where we can utilise this element of significant heritage value more appropriately,” he added. On a related note, the first vice-president of the Cabildo, Lope Afonso, supported this viewpoint.
Afonso argued that “it is entirely reasonable that, given we have high-calibre museums, such as the Muna de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which employ experienced professionals in the field and possess suitable technical facilities, the mummy specimen could be preserved and exhibited on the island.”
Ruano, representing the municipality of Tenerife, indicated that this appeal will aim to progress through the “ordinary route, via dialogue,” while ensuring that “all necessary strategies will be implemented so that the remains of a pre-Hispanic inhabitant can return to Tenerife in proper conservation conditions.”
