Micromorphology of sediments from Cueva Pintada de Gáldar, Gran Canaria

Cueva Pintada is a pre-hispanic archaeological site in the town of Gáldar, Gran Canaria. It was excavated in the 1980s, yielding over 70 stone dwellings and artificial caves. Now, the entire excavated area is covered, as an archaeological museum was built around it (Museo de Cueva Pintada).

Renewed excavation of a small intact zone of the village during the past year has motivated micromorphological investigations of the sedimentary record aimed at understanding the evolution of the village (the main occupation/abandonment phases), as well as the functionality of the different types of rooms within the dwellings.

The project involves sampling and analysis of sediment blocks from selected dwellings (floors, walls and hearth residues) in different zones of the village.

Joint with other archaeological data, the results of this study will provide useful information about the kind of activities that were carried out in the village, and help improve our knowledge on the pre-hispanic societies of Gran Canaria.

Project PIs

Carolina Mallol (Universidad de La Laguna)

Jorge Onrubia Pintado (Universidad Complutense)

Carmen Gloria Rodríguez Santana (Museo de Cueva Pintada)