Isolation and violence on an oceanic island: Lethal injuries in a pre-Hispanic burial in Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain)

Abstract

This paper analyzes different forms of violence identified among the ancient Canarians, a population that settled an oceanic island and remained there, without regular external contacts, for more than a millennium. Specifically, we focus on a funerary deposit composed of 14 individuals with high rates of violence, in some cases of a lethal nature. The study uses forensic anthropology techniques to characterize the individuals’ injuries. It also explores the chrono-cultural framework in which they were inserted for an historical explanation. The high frequency of individuals with evidence of violence, the features of traumatic injuries, and the radiocarbon data suggest an event of extreme physical violence. This episode appears to be linked to socioeconomic changes, including population growth, marked social differences, rivalry between groups, and competition for control of the resources in a small and diverse territory. The different patterns of violence identified among the skeletal remains in Gran Canaria serve to explore the nature of human relations over a prolonged period in an insular context.