El Agujero and La Guancha	"Beyond the Beaches of Gran Canaria" October 29, 1999

Burial mounds at La Guancha

Near the houses at this site is a group of collective burials. Each of the tombs forms a mound which consists of a central shaft tomb encircled by other burial chambers, all enclosed by a wall. The hole in the middle would have been for a leader of the community or family. Other men and women were buried in the outer rings, observing a hierarchical structure. The largest tomb at the site contains 42 people. It is thought that these mounds were family vaults, used for prominent members of the prehistoric Canarian society. This type of collective burial is similar to those found on the north coast of Africa among the Berbers. Grave goods include personal items such as pottery and weapons. Right: Close up of mound showing rings of burials

Ancient Canarians rest in this mound, forever looking out to the sea

El Agujero/La Guancha	Back to Map	Acusa

© 1999 by the Archaeological Institute of America archive.archaeology.org/online/features/canary/agujero2.html