Hallazgos de momias en los inicios de la arqueología científica en Tenerife (1875-1915

Abstract

Although the second half of the 19th century was the time of the greatest number of mummy discoveries on the island of Tenerife, with a minimum of 50 individuals, most of them were not the result of scientific archaeological investigations. The beginning of the activity of the Scientific Cabinet of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, directed by doctor Bethencourt Alfonso, with field work mainly between 1875-1885, led to the recovery of numerous skulls, but very few mummies, except for fragmented specimens from El Chorrillo (El Rosario) and Araya (Candelaria), together with an infant mummy from the Barranco del Infierno (Adeje). On occasions he must have examined them in private collections, as happened with a mummy from the Cuevas del Roque in Las Cañadas del Teide or several from the Juan Luis ravine in La Ladera (Güímar).