A Pre-Hispanic Cave Discovered Using a Drone

Exceptional archaeological finding in Gran Canaria

In February 2020, the discovery of an important pre-Hispanic cave in Gran Canaria was announced. Furthermore, the finding provides new data about the ancient inhabitants of the Canary Islands.

Pre-Hispanic funerary cave with remains of at least 72 people

Archaeologists located an underground cave in the Guayadeque ravine in the southeast of Gran Canaria. Inside, they found mummified remains of at least 72 people: women, men, and children. In fact, according to experts, it is one of the largest known aboriginal burial caves in the archipelago.

Discovered thanks to a drone and a group of researchers

The cave is seven meters underground. Initially, it was located by the group "El Legado," which focuses on archaeological research. To do this, its members used drones and studied the area from the air. Later, upon seeing badly damaged bones inside the cave, they alerted the authorities.

Estimated age of the cave: about a thousand years

According to the initial analyses, the cave would be about a thousand years old and would date back to the 9th or 10th centuries. Although more studies will be needed to confirm the dates, experts are already calling it an "exceptional and fabulous" discovery.

Importance of the discovery in the study of aboriginal childhood

Additionally, the site has something unusual: remains of babies and small children, including at least ten newborns. Therefore, it opens new avenues to study how children lived in the aboriginal society of the Canary Islands. Until now, this is a poorly studied topic.