Vitrified wood charcoal and burnt bones from the pre-Hispanic site of Chasogo (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain)

Abstract

Anthracological analyses from the highlands of Tenerife, known as Las Cañadas del Teide, are still very scarce and little is known about the diversity of human practices in this area. Thanks to accurate archaeological fieldwork at Chasogo, an indigenous site located at almost 2000ma.s.l., it has been possible to recover a large amount of vitrified wood charcoal fragments and burnt faunal remains from a specific structure. Previous experimental work aimed at increasing our understanding of the phenomenon of vitrification has not reached the refractive rates observed in many charcoal assemblages from archaeological contexts such as Chasogo. Wood charcoal analysis indicates the predominance of the Canary Island pine (Pinus canariensis) suggesting a closer location of extensive pine forests during the pre-Hispanic period. The combination of spatial analyses of the anthracological and faunal remains from the structure studied are presented here, contributing to the discussion regarding the possible causes of vitrification and suggesting some working hypotheses for future analyses, i.e. a prior biological degradation (the state of the wood used) and the combustion of high proportions of resin and/or fresh bones (sudden changes in the combustion conditions). These results suggest that it is essential to integrate the anthracological remains and their micromorphological signatures into the general archaeological discussion in order to understand the nature and human use of this pre-Hispanic structure.