Archaeoentomological indicators of long-term food plant storage at the Prehispanic granary of La Fortaleza (Gran Canaria, Spain)

Abstract

Storage is crucial to the sequence of food management. It is nonetheless at times difficult to recognize in the archaeological record due to problems of preservation of ancient food remains. Archaeoentomology in this sense can be of great value as it sheds light on past storage techniques. This study presents the findings of the archaeoentomological analyses carried out at the ancient granary of La Fortaleza (Gran Canaria, Spain, ca. 600-1450 AD), a site where the favorable conditions of preservation allow recording the food plants and insect pests associated with storage. Moreover, the recovery of several taxa of primary and secondary pests connected to different stages of store infestation (i.e. Sitophilus granarius (L.), Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.), Tenebrioides mauritanicus (L.), Mezium americanum (Laporte de Castelnau), Stegobium paniceum (L.) and Cryptolestes sp.) offers data as to the storage conditions and time intervals of the Prehispanic Canarian indigenous population. Finally, new radiocarbon-datings of the pests yield data casting light on the origin and spread of several cosmopolitan taxa such as M. americanum and on past relations between Africa, Europe and the New World.