Cuevo de Villaverde

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

The Cave of Villaverde in the Municipality of La Oliva in Fuerteventura is a volcanic tube with important evidence about the prehistorical periods of the island that was discovered in 1979, but was closed again in 1988.

This team of archaeologists first entered the cave in 2018, and used new technologies to disseminate their findings, and the next visit this month will be a new phase of intervention.
After forty years, this project aims to learn more about the artefacts hidden inside this cave with funding from the Directorate General of Cultural Heritage in collaboration with the Island Government of Fuerteventura and the City of Lo Oliva.
This team of archaeologists will focus their research on geology and topography, which is a priority to define the limits of the site, expand the excavation area, specify the state of conservation and plan future explorations.
You can find this and other news stories from the Canary Islands and Spain in the free, online 'News from the Canary Islands':
http://newsfromthecanaryislands.com

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Archaeologists will re-enter the Cave of Villaverde de Fuerteventura


The team of archaeologists of Arenisca will undertake a second research campaign in one of the most important sites of the island of Fuerteventura, the cave of Villaverde, in the municipality of La Oliva, reports the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands .

 After its first intervention in 2018, of wide repercussion both in the scientific field and for the dissemination of the works with the help of new technologies, it will be the object of a new phase of intervention, indicated in a statement.

 The cave of Villaverde (BIC) is a volcanic tube with abundant vestiges of the past discovered in 1979 that yielded important hypotheses about the prehistory of the island, but that later fell into oblivion, when it closed in 1988.

 Since then, no action had been carried out until in 2018, after forty years, an enclave recovery project was initiated with the financing of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, in collaboration with the Island Council of Fuerteventura and the City Council of La Olive.

 The objectives of this new intervention focus on archaeological research with the support of other disciplines such as geological and topographic, for which it is a priority to define the limits of the site, expand the excavation area, specify the state of conservation and document another Possible entry

 It is also necessary to carry out a complete bio-anthropological study of the adult and child's bodies located to the left of the entrance, with the DNA analysis to determine their possible kinship.

 On the other hand, the archaeological material of previous campaigns to extract historical conclusions will also be analyzed and the interior of the cave will be probed to document the stratigraphic sequence.

 At the same time, real-time dissemination actions will be carried out throughout the works with the purpose of opening the site to the knowledge of the citizenry and talks, open days with guided visits for educational centers and the population will be organized.

 The cave has a website: http://www.yacimientocuevadevillaverde.org that allows you to make a virtual visit and get to know first-hand the archaeological works that are carried out on time.


Tamara: the site is being worked on at present. As you leave Villaverde heading North on the main road the current site they are investigating is on the right just before the end of the village. Lots of info posters up on the fences. (I'm not talking about the entrance and tourist info centre that are down the end of a signposted lane). I read somewhere that they are doing on site talks for anybody interested but I'm guessing they are only in Spanish.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

RTVAC today:

The second phase of archaeological excavation begins at the aboriginal site of the Cave of Villaverde

The City Council of La Oliva has installed interpretive canvases outside the town, in addition to co-financing the research



The project has informative actions such as guided tours every Friday (1:30 p.m.), or talks in Raíz del Pueblo (Tuesday, August 6 and Wednesday, August 7)



The second phase of archaeological excavation in the Cave of Villaverde has already begun, a site declared BIC that houses in its interior an important aboriginal village, and whose occupation could extend for approximately a millennium.

To continue shedding light on a cultural and heritage space of enormous value, the City Council of La Oliva has been involved for the first time in a project of this type, co-financing with the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of the Government of the Canary Islands the investigation that Arenisca executes Archeology.

The City Council has also paid for the installation of a series of interpretive canvases outside the cave. "These large-format canvases offer interesting information about how it was discovered in 1979, about the burial of a man and a boy who appeared then, or about the culture of the mahos, such as the containers and utensils they used," explained the councilor of Culture and Heritage, Iballa Pérez.

When they are next to the Villaverde crossing, the tarpaulins cover the enclosure of the cave and draw the visitor's attention to the existence of this space. A QR code redirects to the website www.yacimientocuevadevillaverde.org, where extensive information about the site is disseminated, such as interviews with experts, an excavation diary, or an interesting virtual three-dimensional visit to the volcanic tube.

Guided tours every Friday

Within the dissemination actions on the Cave of Villaverde, the team of researchers of the Arenisca Arqueología company organizes guided tours of the site every Friday, starting at 1:30 p.m. These visits are free and open to the general public.

Summer School of Archeology and Anthropology

Another novelty of this second phase is the launch of the Summer School of Archeology and Anthropology, with talks twice a week at the Root People's Cultural Association, until August 15.

The first talks are the following:

Tuesday, August 6 | 5:00 p.m.

Bones that speak. Archaeologists who listen.

By Jonathan Santana Cabrera.



Wednesday, August 7 | 18:00.

Skills and knowledge from arid territories.

By María Elena Gutiérrez Lima.

As Arenisca Arqueología clarifies, this is the first time that a summer school with these characteristics is held in Fuerteventura. The Summer School of Archeology and Anthropology is organized by the EDUCERE alliance, a network of anthropology and education at the University of Oxford, led by anthropologist Elizabeth Rahman, the Canarian Anthropology Association, and Sandstone. In addition, the University of La Laguna (ULL) and ULPGC collaborate.

The AVA is funded by the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of the Canary Islands, and has the collaboration of the City Council La Oliva, housing students in the Hostel of El Cohombrillo.

The archaeological excavation of the Cave of Villaverde continues

If the last archaeological investigation carried out in 2018 was promoted from the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of the Government of the Canary Islands, in this second phase, the City Council of La Oliva is involved with funding, in addition to the transfer of space, because the cave is located in a municipal land.

This phase will take place over five months from July 2019, and will feature developments such as expanding the excavation surface, trying to delimit the entity of the site, or new analyzes of archaeological material.

In this sense, bio-anthropological studies of the remains of the burial of an adult man and a child will be carried out, analysis of the material extracted in the first phase to learn more about the vegetation, the climate and the landscape in past times, or the search for seeds to try to understand if there were crops.

The Cave of Villaverde was discovered in 1979, after the collapse that some works caused in this volcanic tube. Inside there appeared an interesting aboriginal burial, as well as vestiges of settlement. After the first excavations carried out in the eighties, last year the excavations that have confirmed, three decades after leaving the investigation, the importance of the deposit were resumed.

  

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

The latest courtesy of RTVAC:

The use of aboriginal almagre is confirmed for the first time in Fuerteventura in the excavation of the Cave of Villaverde.

The City Council of La Oliva and the General Directorate of Heritage finance the research carried out by the Arenisca Arqueología company, which in this phase is aimed at studying the town planning, confirming the chronology of the occupation of the site or trying to locate aboriginal seeds for the first time in Fuerteventura

The archaeological excavation of the Cave of Villaverde continues to throw findings of great interest to know the way of life of the ancient inhabitants of Fuerteventura. During the second phase of the investigation, the team of archaeologists has verified, for the first time at a site in Fuerteventura, the use of almagre by the aborigines of the Mahoh people.

The City Council of La Oliva and the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of the Government of the Canary Islands support with public funding this project executed by the company Arenisca Arqueología. The director of the investigation, Rosa López, explained today that "until now the use of the almagre was unknown in the archaeological sites of Fuerteventura. Here is the mineral associated with tools used to crush the ore and obtain the pigment, and also applied to ceramic fragments. "

"It is something that was already pointed out in the first excavations developed in the cave in the eighties, and that is now confirmed. We have ceramics with incised decoration that certainly belongs to the Mahoh culture and that has blood. Until now it was only documented I use it in Gran Canaria, and therefore it is something very new and interesting in majorera archeology, "added the team archaeologist and materials expert, Derque Castellano.

The mayor of La Oliva, Isaí Blanco, valued in his visit today to the site that "we are very excited about this investigation. The researchers tell us that the Cave of Villaverde can be occupied for at least a thousand years, and that it has great potential to continue understanding how our ancestors lived. It is an aspect of the majorera culture that still has a great journey ahead, and therefore from the City Council of La Oliva we want to continue with the project. "

The Councilor for Culture and Heritage, Iballa Pérez, thanked "especially the involvement in the project of the General Directorate of Heritage of the Government of the Canary Islands", and also "the support of the Cabildo in the procedures that have been necessary. Unity and collaboration between institutions it is fundamental in this field, and therefore we hope that the three administrations can collaborate in the future to continue advancing in this project ".

Stones to get almagre and a bucio

Among the findings so far in this second phase, it is worth mentioning lithic pieces associated with the acquisition of almagre and a bucio. The almagre is a pigment of mineral origin, used by humans in different prehistoric cultures around the world and for all kinds of decorations. It is caused by the reddening of the earth by a volcanic wash, and the pigment is obtained by crushing the material and mixing the powder with water, grease or other oleic elements.

The bucio is a conch that is used in cultures around the world as an instrument or communication tool. It is an element that especially identifies the pre-Hispanic Canarian culture, and has continued to be used for centuries after the conquest.

More findings about the mahoh culture

As explained by the director of the excavation, this campaign is in its equator, and will last until the end of September. "We are executing the research proposals raised in the first phase, with excavations inside and outside the cave."

With respect to the exterior, although this section will have to overcome the problem of digging the large amount of stuffed material - up to 1.5 meters in some areas-, "we hope to be able to clarify how was the town planning that was established around the cave ", advances Rosa López.

As for the interior, excavations will begin next week. "In the interior the strata are more intact than in the exterior, and therefore it is where better results are expected. We hope to find aboriginal seeds for the first time in Fuerteventura - which aims to determine if there were crops - and send them to analyze with other materials such as coals and bones, including remains associated with the burial discovered in 1979 ".

In addition to the almagre, among the elements found during this campaign, and "thanks to the work carried out on site by the team's curator, interesting pieces have already been found as a punch of exquisite quality, a 'bucio' with its corresponding incision to produce sound, or a very rich sample of necklace bead material. Also numerous bones of animals in the same line as in previous phases, of goat, sheep and pig, and whose detailed analysis will be determined later by the wildlife expert, "adds Rosa López .

It will be once the excavation campaign is finished and during the elaboration of the memory until the month of December, in which the dating of the excavated material will be carried out, which will allow to verify the dates and update the chronology of occupation of the cave, and so " know with greater certainty for how long and at what stages the site was occupied, "concludes the archaeologist.

Bioanthropological studies of the remains of the burial of an adult man and a child that was discovered in 1979 (currently in custody by the Department of Heritage of the Cabildo) will be one of the highlights of the analytical phase, in addition to the analysis of the material extracted in the first phase to learn more about the vegetation, the climate and the landscape in the past.

Research and dissemination

The City Council has also paid for the installation of a series of large-format interpretive canvases outside the cave, offering visitors interesting information about how the cave was discovered in 1979, about the burial of a man and a boy who appeared then , or about the culture of the mahos, such as the containers and utensils they used.

When they are next to the Villaverde crossing, the tarpaulins cover the enclosure of the cave and draw the visitor's attention to the existence of this space. A QR code redirects to the website www.yacimientocuevadevillaverde.org, where extensive information about the site is disseminated, such as interviews with experts, an excavation diary, or an interesting virtual three-dimensional visit to the volcanic tube.

Guided tours every Friday

Within the dissemination actions on the Cave of Villaverde, the team of researchers of the Arenisca Arqueología company organizes guided tours every Friday, at 1:00 p.m., during August and September, with the exception of the next day 20 to coincide with the insular festival of La Peña. To reserve a place, contact the Department of Culture, at 928861904 (extensions 302 and 354).

The importance of an abandoned site for 30 years

The Cave of Villaverde was discovered in 1979, after the collapse that some works caused in this volcanic tube. Inside there appeared an interesting aboriginal burial, as well as vestiges of settlement. After the first excavations carried out in the eighties, last year the excavations that have confirmed, three decades after leaving the investigation, the importance of the deposit were resumed.

The site was made up of the remains of an adult man and a child occupying a strange position above his head, in addition to numerous utensils, pottery, and bones of animals now extinct in Fuerteventura, as is the case with the monk seal. The burial, which currently guards the Cabildo de Fuerteventura, was exposed for a long time at the Molino de Antigua.

The Cave of Villaverde is currently in the process of archaeological research, after almost 40 years since its discovery, an initiative promoted by the Government of the Canary Islands, from the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of the Government of the Canary Islands, and the City Council of La Oliva. The municipal institution owns the land where the cave is, declared BIC along with the entire environment of the plot, which has contributed to rehabilitate and condition from the Department of Works and Services.

A burial of the s. XII-XII and a house of the s. VIII

The dating of the bone remains of "Individual 1", a man in his forties who appeared buried next to a child of four, located in a strange position on the head of the adult, has confirmed that this burial corresponds to the aboriginal culture, dating between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

With respect to the structures of the exterior, they would be even older, throwing the carbon analysis 14 of remains of goat bones and ashes that the oldest structures investigated could correspond to a home of the eighth century.

During the first phase thousands of fragments (300 bags of material) were recovered, which are still to be analyzed, such as shells, bones of animals such as goat, sheep and even pig - something very novel and striking - and also of marine animals such as fish and cetaceans, in addition to large amounts of ashes that endorse a prolonged occupation. With respect to material culture, ceramics, refined manufacturing tools, and even decorative elements that speak of a complex society have appeared.

In the excavations of the eighties bones of monk seal were also discovered, being that of Villaverde the only site where these remains have appeared.

  

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Radio Sintonia:

New excavation campaign in the Cueva de Villaverde open to volunteers.

The company Arenisca undertakes this July the fifth excavation campaign Cueva de Villaverde in La Oliva, financed by the General Directorate of Culture of the Government of the Canary Islands.

 

This new campaign is part of the Canary Islands Volunteer Program for heritage activities through the Royal Societies of Friends of the Country of Gran Canaria and Tenerife, an initiative promoted by the General Directorate of Culture of the Government of Canarias.La it is aimed at the local community of the place where the heritage actions are carried out and the objective is to increase social responsibility for the protection and conservation of the assets of the cultural heritage.

The General Directorate of Cultural Heritage informed in the presentation of the initiative that thedevelopment of this program constitutes an opportunity, given the growing citizen demand, to have services aimed at promoting knowledge of the cultural legacy as an element of social cohesion. In this sense, greater accessibility to heritage activities promotes the active participation of citizens in the protection of their immediate environment.

In her speech, Nona Perera, explained that this initiative seeks to "promote citizen participation to increase appreciation and respect for cultural heritage, enabling active participation in archaeological activities in the Canary Islands." After all, "knowledge, safeguarding and defense are also the responsibility of people, so we tend to make heritage management public, close and participatory," he said.

Social and local collaboration

This project aims to formalize the participation of people on a voluntary basis within the heritage activities authorized by this area of the Government of the Canary Islands. In this way, volunteers will be able to intervene in ongoing archaeological actions, referring to excavations, surveys, prospections, reproduction of rock manifestations, consolidation and restoration, archaeological control, stratigraphic analysis and studies of materials, but also in actions on ethnographic, industrial, documentary, immaterial, museographic assets, etc.

From this perspective, volunteers will know in situ the values of the property on which they act, the risks or threats they may suffer and the importance of the research that is developed, thus encouraging that the neighbors of the municipality themselves are the ones who commit themselves to the custody and dissemination of the patrimonial element.

How to participate?
Those interested in participating in the excavation as volunteers can register in the mail info.arenisca@gmail.com

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

After five seasons of excavations co-financed by the City Council of La Oliva and the regional government of the Canary Islands, a vessel has been found outside the City of Villaverde that could exceed 1,000 years
Rosa López, director of Sandstone and excavation work, confirmed that the find hadbeen made by her companyDerque Castellano andhighlighted " that we are facing a spectacular find because it is the first time that it is possible to find a vessel of this type in an excavationor n in a village"," as well as theantiquityof the vessel around 1,000 toñ in the absence of moreconscientious studies "whatwill be of vital importance to knowmorethe way of life of the primitive inhabitants of Fuerteventura" tags. For thelast reasonhe confirmed that "the vessel is whole, although fragmented and that itwill be sentto the Archaeological Museum or I was a study of Betancuria for its study, since knowing what it preserved would give us an idea ofhow it was livedin those times".
For her part, the mayor of La Oliva, Pilar González, expressed"her enormous joyfor this important finding, which highlights the importance of the work that isbeing carried out"; también añadió"que estamos ante una oportunidad única de convert la Cueva de Villaverde en un referente arqueologico e histórico y no la vamos a la I can't wait to show all the residents of La Oliva and those who visit us this importantsite."
Jero Lozano, Councilor for Culture, showed his satisfactionwith the finding andstressed that "this puts in value our municipality and serve to generate new attractions that gobeyond to of sun and beach tourism".
All the people involved in the project decided to baptize the vessel as "Olivita", a name that covers the entire municipality and thatwill serve as a promotionand disseminationof this importantfinding.

link to article for pic