SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 28 September (EUROPA PRESS) –
La Gomera launched a new edition of the Museum Forum this Friday, an initiative promoted by the Island Council through the La Gomera Island Museums, featuring a comprehensive programme of activities and discussions centred around the island’s archaeological heritage and ethnography, scheduled to take place over the weekends in September and October.
The president of the Cabildo, Casimiro Curbelo, underscored that the cultural, historical, and natural wealth possessed by La Gomera is “priceless, and preserving and sharing it is not only a matter of responsibility but also a duty we owe to future generations.”
He further emphasised the value of the island’s network of museums “which serves as a space where history and education converge, allowing both residents and visitors to engage with the cultural heritage of La Gomera.”
The day’s events commenced with a talk titled ‘Archaeological Investigations in the Alojera and Tazo Valleys’, presented by archaeologist and historian Juan Francisco Navarro, where he discussed the rich archaeological treasures preserved in the valleys of northwest La Gomera, as well as the ongoing project aimed at understanding the transformations that the ancient Gomeros underwent upon encountering Europeans.
He illustrated how surveys have been conducted to unearth traces of interactions in the area, including the initiation of excavations at a Gomero settlement that bears evidence of contact, alongside prospective interventions in early European establishments, particularly the Alojera ingenio.
Subsequently, archaeologist and director of the Archaeological Museum of La Gomera, Juan Carlos Hernández, delivered a lecture entitled ‘Goats in the Living Room: the Archaeological Excavation of Lomito del Medio’, during which he stressed the importance of research, education, and conservation initiatives led by museums.
He outlined that the Archaeological Museum of La Gomera coordinates a series of research projects aimed at deepening the understanding of the lives of the ancient island inhabitants. Specifically, he highlighted advancements made in the archaeological excavation of the El Lomito del Medio site – Casas Caída, San Sebastián – which began in 2009, and endeavours to shed light on the lifestyle of our ancestors and chart their history.
At the conclusion, the photographic exhibition ‘The Archaeology of La Gomera in the 21st Century’ was inaugurated at the Cabildo Exhibition Hall, which will remain open to the public until 26 October.
With the La Gomera Museums Forum, various activities will unfold across different municipal venues over the next month, involving numerous experts in archaeology, anthropology, and history from La Gomera and other regions of the Canary Islands.
REMAINDER OF THE PROGRAMME.
On Friday, 4 October, the itinerary will shift to the Pedro García Cabrera House of Culture in Vallehermoso, where at 7:00 p.m., the talk ‘Faces of Gomero’s Past: What the Bones of the Access to the Davit Reveal about the History of Vallehermoso’ will be delivered by Jared Carballo, postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Antiquity and Middle Ages Sciences at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Additionally, an oral storytelling cultural activity entitled ‘Drums are Loves’ will be presented by storyteller Orlando Santana and musician Nahuel Lanfranchini.
On Friday, 11 October, the La Gomera Museums Forum will arrive at the town of Playa Santiago, Alajeró, specifically at the El Pósito Cultural Centre. There, commencing at 6:00 p.m., sociocultural anthropologist José Miguel Trujillo will present a dissertation titled ‘We Are Sailors: An Oral History of Fishing in La Gomera’. Following this, archaeoichthyologist and director of the Casa de Colón de Gran Canaria, Carmen Gloria Rodríguez, will deliver a talk entitled ‘The Ancient Gomera Population and the Fertile Atlantic: A Profitable Relationship?’
On Friday, 18 October, at the Hotel Gran Rey, starting at 7:00 p.m., the talk ‘We, Heaven and Earth: Archaeology of the Chipude Fortress’ will take place, presented by archaeologist Juan Carlos Hernández and biologist Volker Boehlke. This session will include a simultaneous translation service into German.
On Saturday, 19 October, the Sociocultural Centre of the Casino de Hermigua will host the talk ‘San Marcial de Rubicón (Lanzarote): Archaeology on the Border: People, Spaces, and Temporalities’, delivered by María del Cristo González and Esther Chávez, directors of the San Marcial del Rubicón excavation project, commencing at 7:00 p.m.
The concluding activity will occur on Friday, 25 October, starting at 7:00 p.m., at the Archaeological Museum of La Gomera. The narrative-musical experience titled ‘Music Makes Sense(s)’ will transpire, featuring a talk-concert aimed at recreating the time of an island led by archaeologist Juan Carlos Hernández, with musical contributions from violinist Yurena Darias and cellist Ithaisa Darias.