Guanche mummies

Guanche mummies are the intentionally desiccated remains of members of the indigenous Guanche people of the Canary Islands. The majority of Guanche mummies were made during the eras prior to Spanish settlement of the area in the 15th century. The methods of embalming are similar to those that were used by the Ancient Egyptians, though fewer mummies remain from the Guanche due to looting and desecration.

Mummification on the Canary Islands during the Guanche period remained confined to Tenerife, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, and El Hierro. The most well-preserved, and therefore the most thoroughly-studied, mummies were found on Tenerife.

In 1933, the Guanche necropolis of Uchova was discovered in the municipality of San Miguel de Abona in southern Tenerife. It is estimated that it contained between 60 and 74 mummies before the cemetery was almost completely looted.

Physical examination of the Guanche mummies of Tenerife found that they were quite tall. On average, the males stood 1.70 m and the females were 1.57 m in height. They were also generally of robust constitution.

Medieval Spanish explorers arriving in the islands during the 14th century reported the Guanche buried individuals of low social status in sandy graves, while upper class members were mummified and laid to rest in secluded caves. One of these mortuary caves may have held up to 1,000 mummies, however, many of these have disappeared with only 20 complete mummies left on the islands. The loss of such a large amount of mummies is generally attributed to the popularity of mummia, a pharmaceutical substance created out of pulverized mummies.

The Guanche had groups of males and females, working as mummification specialists, who would carry out the process according to the gender of the decedent. The Guanche culture considered these individuals unclean due to the nature of their work.

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