Resumen de Archaeoentomology applied to the Gran Canaria mummies: First results
Néstor López Dos Santos, Clara Patiño Martínez, Teresa Delgado Darias, Verónica Alberto Barroso, Javier Velasco Vázquez
Archaeoentomology in funerary contexts provides relevant information regarding the treatment of the corpse, the taphonomic history of the human remains and the main features of the burial sites.These data are especially interesting for the study of the mummies of Gran Canaria for several reasons. Firstly, the mummy collection of El Museo Canario was created between the end of the 19th and the 30s of the 20th centuries, so any data about its origin is almost non-existent. The archaeoentomology offers direct details about the conditions of the decomposition process and the features of the place chosen as grave. Secondly, it allows knowing if the treatment of the corpse, and especially the shroud, conditioned the presence of different taxa of cadaveric fauna or if differences can be established depending on the quantity and quality of the materials used in the funeral wrap. This paper provides the first results of the archaeoentomological study of mummies 8, 11 and 15 from El Museo Canario.
