History of the History of the Canary Islands.Canary Islands.

Canary Islands- Its beginningCanary Islands- Its beginning• The Canary Islands has a volcanic origin. • The originally volcanic islands –seven

major islands, one minor island, and several small islets– were formed by the Canary hotspot. The Canary Islands is the only place in Spain where volcanic eruptions have been recorded during the Modern Era, with some volcanoes still active (even though recently inactive).

Volcanic originVolcanic origin

Canary Islands – volcanic originCanary Islands – volcanic origin

HistoryHistory• It is said that before the arrival of the

aborigines, the Canaries were inhabited by prehistoric animals; for example, the giant lizard or giant rats

Early visitors Early visitors • The islands were visited by both the

Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Carthaginians and Romans.

GuanchesGuanches• When the Europeans began to explore the

islands, they encountered several indigenous populations living at a Neolithic level of technology

• The pre-colonial inhabitants came to be known collectively as the Guanches, although Guanches was originally the name for the indigenous inhabitants of Tenerife.

GuanchesGuanches

Castilian ConquestCastilian Conquest• The Castilian people (Spanish) conquered

the Canary Islands in the early 15th century.

• They dominated the islands, although they found a lot of resistance from the Guanches.

After the conquest…After the conquest…• After the conquest, the Castilians

imposed their economy, their religion etc.

• They Canary Islands were also attacked by Dutch and Turkish pirates.

• The Canary Islands is a product of all these invasions.

MuseumsMuseums• There are a lot of museums which

remind us of the history of our land

This is the Canarian Museum in Las Palmas. Here we can find lots of bones, skulls and ceramics made by our ancestors. It is visited every year by natives and foreigners.

Painted cavePainted cave

In the Painted Cave in Galdar (Gran Canaria) we can see how the aborigines expressed artistically. They used natural colours taken form plants to decorate the walls. This cave is visited by a lot of poeple during the year. It is worth seeing.

Cenobio de ValerónCenobio de Valerón

These are several caves (similar to a bee hive) where canarian Aborigines used to store the food (fruits, granes, etc). They collected it during the summer and they ate everything in winter, when the weather was not so good. This place is also visited nowadays by many people.

GuayadequeGuayadeque

•The Guayadeque Ravine, classified as a Natural Monument and Site of Cultural Interest for its endemic flora and fauna, has an interpretation centre. The centre offes a journey form the distant past to the present.

GuayadequeGuayadeque

These are the traditional caves in Guayadeque. Guayadeque is in Agüimes, our municipality.

People live here nowadays. These caves are cool in summer and hot in winter. There are several restaurants in Guayadeque that have been made inside the rock.Guayadeque is a very beutiful long

ravine, which is hemmed in by enourmous hillsides.

Museum in GuayadequeMuseum in Guayadeque

In Guayadeque there is a Museum where we can see the pots the aborigins used and there are also some mummies.

This interpretation cenre is located in a building dug out of the sides of the ravibe in the same style as the traditional troglodite dwellings here.

It offers a journey from the distant past, when erosion and volcanic activity shaped its landscape, to the modern days, passing by though indigenous and later colonisation.

Archeology in Gran CanariaArcheology in Gran Canaria

Aborigin artAborigin art• Pots

• Ornaments

Others Others