Cave of the Guanches

Cave of the Guanches is one of the most significant archaeological sites on Tenerife, located in the municipality of Icod de los Vinos on the island's northern coast. It marks the location of the earliest known Guanche settlement on Tenerife, making it a reference point for anyone studying the prehistory of the Canary Islands.

Where is the site located?

The archaeological area sits atop a cliff roughly 125 meters above sea level, near the town of Icod de los Vinos. During the time the Guanches occupied the area, the settlement consisted of natural caves together with huts built on the site; the huts themselves have not survived, but their existence has been confirmed through archaeological research carried out here.

Why does this site matter for archaeology?

Cave of the Guanches has produced the oldest confirmed chronologies of human presence in the Canary Islands. Analysis of pottery fragments recovered inside the caves pushed the dating of settlement back to the 6th century BCE. That makes the site a benchmark for reconstructing the earliest phases of Guanche occupation on Tenerife, long before the Spanish conquest of the island.

What have archaeologists found here?

Excavations at the site have revealed a range of finds that shed light on the daily life of its early inhabitants. These include fragments of handmade pottery, bone tools, and shells of marine mollusks, all pointing to the diet and craft activities of the community that once lived here. One find in particular has drawn special attention from researchers: a single secondary burial pit uncovered at the site. Secondary burial, in which remains are re-interred after an earlier stage of decomposition or an initial burial elsewhere, is an uncommon practice in the archaeological record of the Canary Islands, and this individual burial is regarded as an exceptional discovery for the archipelago as a whole.

Where can the finds from the site be seen?

The objects recovered from Cave of the Guanches were not confined to scientific reports; they entered museum collections as well. Some of the pottery, tools, and other artifacts are displayed at the Museo Guanche in Icod de los Vinos, a local institution dedicated to the history and culture of the Guanches. Other items connected to the site are held in the collection of the British Museum, underlining the scientific significance attached to these discoveries.

Frequently asked questions

Who were the Guanches? They were the indigenous inhabitants of the Canary Islands before European contact, and Cave of the Guanches is one of the key sites documenting their earliest presence on Tenerife.

How old is the site? Analysis of pottery found at the location points to a chronology dating back to the 6th century BCE, making it one of the oldest confirmed traces of settlement in the Canary Islands.

What remains at the site of the former settlement today? The original huts have not survived to the present day, but the area remains an important archaeological site, and artifacts recovered from it can be viewed in museums, including the Museo Guanche in Icod de los Vinos.

Why is the secondary burial found here so notable? Secondary burials are rare in the archaeology of the Canary Islands, and the individual burial pit discovered at this site is considered one of the more unusual finds of its kind in the region.