The impact of human activities on the natural environment of the Canary Islands (Spain) during the pre-Hispanic stage (3rd-2nd Century BC to 15th Century AD): An overview

Abstract

This paper presents a brief review of archaeological evidence for the impact of the pre-Hispanicpopulation on the environment of the Canary Islands. Prior to human colonisation, the archipelagowas an untouched environment with high botanical and faunal biodiversity. The first humansettlement can be traced to the early 1st millenniumBC; this period of settlement finished at theend of the 15th centuryADwhen the Spanish Crown conquered the archipelago. It has often beenassumed that the pre-Hispanic population had little significant impact on the islands’ ecosystems.However, abundant evidence for faunal extinctions, deforestation and soil erosion has beenrecovered from archaeological sites across the islands. This indicates that pre-Hispaniccolonisers introduced cultivated plants, opened up the forests to create fields and cut woodyvegetation for fuel. They also introduced domestic animals and alien predators resulting in a majordepletion of native fauna.