Ancient Shell Middens Reveal Insights into Tenerife’s Past
A study from the University of La Laguna has uncovered nearly a millennium of interaction between Tenerife’s indigenous communities and the coast of Buenavista del Norte. The research indicates that shellfish gathering persisted from the 2nd to the 12th century without significantly impacting the size of the limpets.
Published in The Holocene, the study reveals how early islanders utilised coastal resources and how their activities altered the vegetation in the region over time.
Co-led by researchers Álvaro Castilla Beltrán and Cristo Manuel Hernández Gómez, the project involved experts in archaeology, ecology, biogeography, micromorphology, and microfossil analysis.
Over a Hundred Shell Middens in Buenavista
The coastal area of Buenavista del Norte is home to caves, burial sites, and approximately 100 shell middens, primarily consisting of limpets, along with other molluscs.
Researchers from the University of La Laguna have focused their efforts on this northwest Tenerife region for over 20 years. The shell middens provide valuable insights into the diet of the Guanche people and their exploitation of coastal resources.
Hernández Gómez noted, “The collection of shellfish was one of the most important economic activities for the populations settled in this area.”
The research primarily examines two types of limpets: Patella crenata and Patella ulyssiponensis, showing their collection spanned nearly a thousand years.
Sustainable Resource Management
One of the main findings is that ongoing collection did not significantly affect mollusc sizes, suggesting that the indigenous communities practiced resource management that allowed the limpets to be harvested sustainably for centuries.
This conclusion aligns with previous studies on Canary Island shell middens, highlighting the stable role of coastal areas in the communities’ economies between AD 200 and 1200.
Insights from Pollen and Plant Remains
The study also examined pollen, phytoliths, microcharcoal, and other plant microfossils found in sediments from two shell middens and a nearby terraced field.
Phytoliths are tiny mineral particles formed in plant tissues, helping to reconstruct historical vegetation, even long after it has disappeared.
Castilla explained, “We aimed to go beyond the shell middens as mere sites for processing molluscs and extract information that contributes to our understanding of the landscape.”
Changes in Coastal Vegetation
Analysis revealed a local decline in thermophilous vegetation, including the Canary Island palm (Phoenix canariensis), endemic shrub Justicia hyssopifolia, and various Euphorbia species. These were gradually replaced by coastal scrub and nutrient-loving species similar to those currently present in Tenerife.
The research marks a significant change in the coastal landscape’s development due to human presence, although the authors note that environmental shifts may have resulted from various factors over time.
This study sheds light on Buenavista’s coast during the early periods of settlement and provides references for preserving its natural and archaeological significance.
A Near-Millennia Archive of Guanche Culture
Dating indicates that the two shell middens and associated materials from the terraced field date back to between the 2nd and 12th centuries, exceeding the team’s initial expectations and confirming an extended period of maritime practices.
The scientific article, titled Shell middens and soil terraces as archives of human-littoral interactions since the first settlement of northwestern Tenerife, the Canary Islands, was first published online in December 2025 and appears in volume 36 of The Holocene, 2026 edition.
The project involves various groups from the University of La Laguna, the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of the Government of the Canary Islands, and Tibicena Archaeology and Heritage, also providing valuable training for undergraduate students and postdoctoral researchers.
