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Bentayga Rock
Native name Roque Bentayga (Spanish)
Bentayga Rock and Tejeda
Type	volcanic plug
Location	Tejeda, Grand Canary, Canary Islands, Macaronesia, off the west coast of Africa
Nearest city	Tejeda
Elevation	1,404 m (4,606 ft) or 1,412 m (4,633 ft)
Formed	~4M years ago
Spanish Cultural Heritage
Type	Archaeological site
Designated	June 7, 1988

Bentayga Rock is one of the particular rocky formations on Grand Canary island, in the province of Las Palmas, Canary islands, Spain. At its foot was a human settlement with cave houses, silos burial cavities and nearby what is generally believed to be a ritual place. During the invasion of the island by Europeans in the 16th century it was a fortress that sheltered the ancient Canarians who resisted Spanish attacks.

It is listed as a Spanish Property of cultural interest.

Location and access

Located in the municipality of Tejeda at the heart of the island, Bentayga rock stands some 1.7 mile (2.7 km) (on a straight line - 3.6 m. (5.8 km) by the road) east of this village, in the centre part of the caldera de Tejeda ("crater of Tejeda"), a large collapsed volcanic crater.

Roque Nublo ("Clouded Rock") is about 4 km to the south-south-east, on the other side of the deep barranco del Chorillo that fringes the south side of the caldera de Tejeda. The cave house village of Artenara is about 4 km to the north-north-west, on the north side of the barranco de Tejeda and the northern edge of the caldera de Tejada.

Acusa Seca is about 3 km to the north-east of Bentayga Rock.

The GC-671 road leads to it, starting from the GC-607 to the east - itself starting on the GC-60 that goes from Tejeda to San Fernando and the Playa des Inglés in the south of the island.

Geology

The caldera de Tejeda is a basin created by the collapse of a volcanic crater. For more informatin on the formation of the collapsed crater of Tejeda, see Tejeda#Geology: ''caldera de Tejeda''.

Bentayga rock is a volcanic plug made of basalt (a volcanic rock), along with the other surrounding peaks.

Description

Bentayga rock is 70 m high on its eastern side.

Bentayga painted :

Bentayga, the fortress

The site is ideal as a fortress, defended as it is by its natural configuration and difficult access. In 1602 Abreu Galindo wrote a history of the conquest of the island in which he describes the last stand against the Spanish at the end of the 15th century:

"With Royal military headquarters well guarded and under control, they set off on a march up to Bentayga and laid a siege of this stronghold for over fifteen days. As it was evident there were many women and children, and no men, they decided to gain their objective by starving out the occupants. Nevertheless, the Canarians defended themselves very bravely, hurling down boulders and heavy stones, so that they could not gain access. The Canarians killed eight soldiers and caused many casualties."

Ritual place (almogarén)

The remains

On the top crest near the base of Roque Bentayga on its eastern side, is a structure the use of which is controversial. Its natural base is made of a flat-ish stone surface, elongated in the south-east/north-west direction and sloping somewhat towards the north-west; it is bordered on its north side by two rises in the rock; the north-east rise forms a shallow outcrop south-wise and thus provides a small natural shelter. On this was built... a structure or structures of some sort, that have left enough remains to raise curiosity.

The main space is a totally levelled rectangular surface, hand-excavated, that measures approximately 6 x 3,5 meters. It is not possible to determine if there was a further space or room on the west side of it. There is a smaller space or room on the east side. A shallow channel runs inside along the east and south wall remnants of the main space, and other channels cross the floors of the two floor spaces.
In the middle of the main floor has been dug a circular channel about 20 cm deep and 80 cm in diameter. On the west side of this circle (that is, in the direction where water in the circular channel would run off), the channel joins onto a rectangular hole - the latter being slightly deeper than the channel.
There are two holes in the ground about 1 meter away westward of the circular structure in the centre. These holes are about 1 meter apart, and they are centered in relation to the width of the main space.

without being able to be necessary if it(he,she) had bedroom in the western part, it(he) is that of major potential for his(her,your) use as housing as(like) in other examples of habitat, but here he(she) adapts to the existing narrowness, between(among) the excellent rock and the edge of the south cliff, reason in addition for that there is few difference between the carved(tooled) salient corners of the bedroom and the entrantes of the lounge.

The two floors were dug in the same agglomerate as Roque Nublo, their top stratum being augitic basalt of major hardness.

This place used to be called La Cruz de Cho Matías ("Cho Matías's Cross").

Recent history and theories

In the 19th century well-known explorers such as René Verneau or Victor Grau-Bassas studied Bentayga and its "almogarén".

Víctor Grau-Bassas (1847-1918), who extensively explored the caldera in the second part of the 19th century, did not see in it any excavated floor. In the 1930's D.J. Wölfel, Austrian philologist, was the first one to interpret the place as an altar for sacrifices. In the 1940's, Sebastián Jiménez Sanchez calls it for the first time "almogaren del Bentayga". In the 1980's Mauro Hernández Perez explored the place again, accompanied by a member of the Comisión de Arqueología del Museo Canario, and described the place but without attributing to it any particular connotation, religious or otherwise. Researchers such as Antonio Tejera Gaspar, Jose Juan Jiménez Gonzalez (adding symbolic sexual connotations to Bentayga), Julio Cuenca and Anthony F. Aveni, Ernesto Martin Rodríguez, followed the "almogarén" interpretation. The Guide of archaeological Heritage of Gran Canaria ("Guía del Patrimonio Arqueológico de Gran Canaria"), page 343, gives a photo of the so-called almogarén with the description: "curious construction excavated... interpreted as cultual place or almogarén" ("curiosa construcción excavada... interpretada como lugar de culto o almogaren").

Some authors added to it the "solar calendar" theory: César Esteban jointly with Juan Antonio Belmonte and Antonio Aparicio,; student of astrophysics Oswaldo Gonzalez Sanchez; Jose Carlos Gil Carreras in Arqueoastronomía Canaria; Pepe "Cuevas", Javier Velasco and Tomas Correa in the website estodotuyo (site on Heritage assets by the council of Grand Canary); J. Alberto Bachiller Gil; Alfredo Mederos Martin and Gabriel Escribano Cobo; Alfredo Mederos Martin, Vicente Valencia Afonso, Gabriel Escribano Cobo; and numerous web pages. The TV documentary series Canarias en casa, in its piece on Bentayga, mentions the breaking of jars filled with milk as a ritual.
So far most researchers, including thos of the Unidad de patrimonio histórico del Cabildo ("Council department of historical heritage"), have given more importance to the theory of "religious and astronomic context" than to the military and defensive aspect that the ancient settlements had and have not taken into account some elements such as those further down here.

On December 10, 2000, a new perspective is presented for the reconstruction of the place: it could have been a normal dwelling but with two successive occupations. A first house was built, levelling the floor. Later, a second house was built on the west side of the first house, reusing some of the space occupied by the first house.

The possibility of two successive dwellings

The first house was a smaller building on the eastern side of the present remains. Leaning on the same rocky outcrop on the north side that the second and larger house would later use, its walls were rounded in a semi-sphere profile.

Thus some of the floor of the first house was covered by the walls of the second house; more precisely, the alcove on the eastern side of the second house required the destruction of half of the floor on the west of the first house.

This theory of two successive dwellings (rather than a sacred place of worship) came to light in view of a number of well-made points.

• Remodelling parts of a dug dwelling, shelter or silo for it to be part of a later other building was a commonly used building adaptation in Grand Canary.

• The existence of a small room on one side of the main space, such as there is here on the eastern side of the construction, is a usual floor plan of common houses of those times in Gran Canaria. In fact there usually are at least two smaller side spaces, commonly placed opposite to each other in relation to the main space.

• There is no artificial platforms for cultual use of these dimensions that contain small pans ("cazoletas") and channels, and these platforms are natural - whereas here the ground here has clearly been levelled up against its slope.

• There is a good case for interpreting most of the channels in the floor simply as means to evacuate rainwater; those for the first house were integrated and prolonged in the second house.

• The channels that do not participate to this rainwater drainage are 1) those that correspond to anchorages of the doors and 2) those that make up a sophisticated home stove in the middle of the floor and in front of the entrance.

The stove and derivate traces

In houses of those times the fire was always placed in the central part of the main room and opposite to the entry, such as is the case here with the remains of a circular channel dug around a centre part - this being the element that has led many researchers into believing that this was a cultual place.

The "home stove" is about 20 cm deep and 80 cm in diameter. The roof above it must have had a hole so as to let smoke escape. The circular channel around the fire place collected rain falling inside through that hole in the roof above.

Derivate traces of the existence of fire or stove at this place are the two holes in the ground, that would have fitted two poles standing upward so as to support the roof, weakened at that place by the smoke hole.

That structure is identical to some found in dwellings in the cueva Pintada archaeological village zone in Galdar.

• It is very usual to find about the homes, holes or bases for small columns of wood, we believe that BOTH HOLES NEAR TO THE HOME, answer to the foundation of two columns of wood which function is strengthens the vain one more weak person of the central zone of the ceiling close to his(her,your) opening or chimney.

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and it is clear that the levelling of the floor was meant to accommodate the ground's slope - including drainage. 

DESCRIPTION PAVEMENTS DIACRÓNICOS

Bordering externally(outwardly) on the pavements yellow or orange was locating the wall of missing closing that gave the height and sufficient width to enable the coat and his(her,your) roofing, these did not coexist together, 2 ª house - orange in his(her,your) construction destroys with the bedroom the half of the pavement west of the 1 ª house - yellow, that took advantage as north coat of the excellent rock.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT

The peoples(villages) of the Antiquity(Antique) support a scheme of values, in which the survival prevails, and in obtaining it all his(her,your) efforts go. The supply is essential, and if there exist potential enemies who put it in danger, the defense of the life and the resources it is one of the most important axes(axles) of action(share), let's remember(remind) Abraham Maslow's pyramid in the hierarchy of the needs of the man, the second one it is the safety(security) the basic defense in any people(village) of the ancient and current world.

The set of the bentayga in his(her,your) south face with los Roques Piquillo, Anden del Tabacalete, Cuevas del Rey y Roquete;

HIGH NORTH AND SOUTH PLATFORM

It(He,She) is together with the roque the STRENGTH(FORTRESS) in yes, with sloping but passable hillsides under the rocky top crest as backbone. The south platform is the most extensive with other one smaller that it(he,she) recovers from the this foot of the roque and belonging to the same comb being almost to the same level, the north platform is lower, sloping and smaller. In the rest of the roque platforms do not exist as(like) previous, alone the steep faces north and northwest. The pavements are excavated in the only(unique) soft(smooth) point of the narrow comb, it is a question of the evolution of a " house kills " on the angles of the wall or walk of round, with other elements as the small artificial cave and cave silo. Approximately in the same level little more in the western part a small tunnel and other excavated structures and continuing more in the western part to half of way in the south face, a wide cave of room that is the best habitat at the foot of this face, also the major tunnel is a cave room and probably of meeting for his(her,your) wide space and strategic situation. Under this one comb natural caves, a great tunnel, and small groups of granaries in the north face and walls in both faces and out of the roque, watchtowers of support in the skirt of the north crestería since(as,like) he is the Roque Narices with his(her,your) house in the top, also the same Roque Bentayga in yes is the major watchtower, with small refuges of urgency on both sides of the "Bun" or top in case I besiege end(final), with almost inaccessible access from the foot southwest.

Situation of the structures of the STRENGTH(FORTRESS) in the face this one of the roque

The wall

There is a wall at the foot of Bentayga Rock. It surrounds the accessible zones of the high platforms, in the south face excavated in the softest(smoothest) rock for his(her,your) stabler foundation on the rocky promontory of the south-east slope, presents only an external face and its completion is a right angle, finishing on the head-board of the barranquillo without crossing it, it joust under the major tunnel.

In the top angle of the wall, there is detected part(report) of the internal curled face that might be a circular structure integrated to the landfill of the wall (possible gambling den) or part(report) of the interior wall of this wall in the part most raised to protect itself(himself,herself) during a possible conflict.

Also the natural caves on the angle of the wall were coats and caves of room of the sentries and more when they are close to the walk of round.

Possible entry in the zone near to the angle where there happens(passes) the current approach road that breaks the wall, this one might be a false door due to the partial destruction for the access and ethnographic reutilization of the caves in more recent times.

To few meters opposite to the north entry of the major tunnel, a section of wall exists with fallen sections that a plain contains close to the caves and granaries probably to extend the flat(level) space in front of these, though also it(he,she) could belong(concern) to the continuity of the walk of the principal wall. Under the previous wall of containment close to the north mouth of the tunnel, a hillside with major difference that that of the south platform this one finishes on the north cliff almost at the foot of the roque where there exists in the edge another independent rampart walk that combined with natural way closes with wall the lowest vulnerable zone of the North-East, where still(yet) sections of wall remain under supposed " battery(sink) of sacrifices " of Grau. This wall as we were saying it is a part of the fortress, dividing line and artificial continuity of the edges of the cliffs, separating the platforms and forming a part of the defensive system, since it works as barrier - rampart walk (1). Everything under the comb, in a very vulnerable loin to the exterior(foreign) incursions, so that it(he,she) closes and the communication towards these high platforms north and south, military zone - strength(fortress) with the mentioned complements, similar at the " entry of the castle " on a medieval people(village).

THE lower anden:PLATFORM: It is under the wall and is the zone " civilian administered ", more extensive principal core(nucleus) of this archaeological complex of the roque, for what it(he,she) needs a study separate, since it(he,she) contains 5 granaries protected at the foot of the major cliffs of the south and in the bordering hillsides numerous groups natural caves of room and of other uses, where a water source(fountain) places as they say the chronicles. Let's not forget that after the exit and Ajodar's victory, for his(her,your) reputation this strength(fortress) of the Bentayga was named by the sources(fountains) etnohistóricas where there was guaranteed food and refuge that it(he,she) provided, marking a historical milestone during the conquest where there is mentioned the small and blond princess Guayarmina accompanied and protected by his(her,your) retinue. Doing medieval comparisons the same Roque is in yes on the high platform, tower is great " honoring or macho " of a castle, in that an exterior(foreign) artificial way, it(he,she) was leading to his(her,your) top for the last refuge though it is the space is reduced and difficultly. Forming a part of the typical defensive system, with watchtowers of support and points of vigilance in the tops as the Roque Narices and other similar watchtowers that flank the income to the valley, even you marry near accumulations of stones arranged to throw(shoot) hillside below(down) since(as,like) it happens in Ajodar or Hogarzales's Mountain. Near to the opposite end, lowering the small platform there exist sections or remains of another rampart walk of minor height that already does not fulfill the barrier function for his(her,your) scanty height specially because this flank west and south is easily defensible for his(her,your) big contiguous cliffs.

This way finishes in the extreme west of the Roque and just person on the remains of his(her,your) hanging the landfill lodged in a great vertical crack, where we find a stone lodged in the left wall that it(he,she) distinguishes from the agglomerate, in her(it) a few alphabetical engravings líbico Berber formed(trained) by three horizontal lines to take advantage better of the space, realized with very straight outlines with probable metallic tool, seems to demonstrate a relation with the end of the way, since without the platform of landfill it would be difficult to agree to realize the engravings in the above mentioned crack.

Changing sense, the path reports with the beginning of the way of ascent in zigzag to the top of the roque, where also there exists another alphabetical vertical minor engraving close to a cross. The relation I begin or end of way with engraving seems to demonstrate " cartels of notice ". In spite of this spatial association, also in our opinion the way and the engravings, they do not have because to relate in the chronological plane.

The small tunnel crosses the comb rightly in the this foot of the Roque, it(he,she) favored the traffic of the previous way between(among) both faces south and north, ideally to shorten the traffic that was coming from the west or south towards the north face after crossing was stooping for a few steps(stairs) worked in the same comb on the group of granaries together with(close to) the major tunnel.

Face this one of the Roque with the wall I walk of round, on her(it) the excavated pavements. Probably this one is the place where there could be an agreement of surrender or a warlike confrontation and the camp of the invader in the Plain of the Pasture land of high quality where there is current " center of interpretation ".

The intention of this Rampart walk, it(she) might be her(it) of surrounding totally the foot of the Roque, but the union turns out to be impossible between(among) the faces south and north, for the great existing difference with impassable cliffs. There are interesting examples of complete rampart walks, as that it(he,she) surrounds totally the top of the Mountain of the Tabaibas. In these ways and annexes to the positions(places) of vigilance, there is habitual the existence of refuges that can materialize as caves or surface structures. His(her,your) forms and possibilities are different, because they are adapted to the geological way in the one that is inserted. We believe that in the company(society) protohistórica and organized into a hierarchy of Great Canary, the military speciality exists in a very developed way The Watchtowers. Some of these specialized individuals The Sentries, are distributed in strategic points of the whole Island, safeguarding the income to the settlements of an effective way being alert with signs of smoke to other enclaves.

CONCLUSION

Any surface that presents channels and small pans is not systematically an almogarén, that is to say it does not necessarily have a cultual meaning.

The remains at Bentayga do not look like any other existing almogarén in the island; on the other hand it bears close resemblance to known existing dwellings of those times with part of the walls built with the dry stone technique, cruciform floor plan, the type and place of a home fire, evacuation channels for rainwater... with the added bonus of high security level because of the difficulty of access.

 In general the excavations in wedge in land or rock to enable structures habitacionales of surface or houses, are to fix the back half of these, in this case for I shelter in the northern part and door in the southern part and due to the tight place there is excavated the half or more of the right(straight) wings of the first one and the right(straight) half of the second house.

The "Almogaren del Bentayga called", curiously does not look like any other existing almogaren in the Island, and nevertheless, guards a great parallelism with the houses of dry stone of cruciform plant(floor).

Current section of the pavements diacrónicos worked in the agglomerate Roque Nublo, the top stratum RS is a basalt augítico of major hardness.

These carved(tooled) pavements, there is located in a very narrow comb, of development this west, on the cliffs north and south this(this one) of the face. In the narrow space of this platform, there are four structures worked on the rock, composed by two small caves and two surface structures all of them orientated in the southern part. Both last ones, motive of this article, are the development of a surface habitat, with a small tunnel that is in the same level, the same thing happens in another low level where a great tunnel or cave opens itself with with room worked in the wall this one, this tunnel with great usefulness(utility) was communicating the hillsides north and south under the comb, as interior corridors of exit and rapid entry that served as short-cuts to surround close to the way the round this widely monitored, very usual flank in defensive complexes of Great Canary.

These two structures diacrónicas of surface are carved in the rock mas soft(smooth), adapting on these, walls of stone and already missing logs and in his(her,your) remains they can be estimated two times (to see illustrations with different colors), behaving as one of the best diacronías in rock that could be proved(tried). These two chronological moments, they can be identified in the preparation of the pavements on rock to eliminate the difference, enabling a necessary lot to arrange the refuge or house. This preparation of the pavements differs for the space that they delimit, and for the form that each one acquires shaping between(among) both pavements a clear juxtaposition diacrónica.

In case of the first theory of this one evil called Almogaren, no investigator(researcher) of those that they have published on the topic, has described and interpreted punctually with detail the elements that form(train) her since(as,like) we are interpreting and go to analyze here.

In case of the first theory of this one evil called Almogaren, no investigator(researcher) of those that they have published on the topic, has described and interpreted punctually with detail the elements that form(train) her since(as,like) we are interpreting and go to analyze here.

PAVEMENT OF THE 1 ª house

He(She) identifies in the most eroded, high and small platform. (Yellow color in the illustrations) It could have a few approximate dimensions of 3 x 3 meters, with floor plan of quadrangular trend, since we see the plane and of that at present only the oriental half remains. It is smaller and takes advantage of the excellent rock of basalt augítico, using it as north hanging.

In the small internal wall of the structure, there is a light(slight) curvature with next corner, at the foot of this one a CHANNEL develops IN THE SHAPE OF "L", whose(which) function is it of evacuating the waters of rain proceeding from the filtraciones that were crossing his(her,your) missing hanging that they were falling(falling due) for the slope this one, which they could overwhelm the pavement of the habitat, of there that takes his(her,your) exit as the right of the door.

The THRESHOLD OF THE DOOR consists for two small parallel channels, (to see illustrations), linked to the system of closing and to the quadrangular hollow of the right and whose(which) function was probably, her(it) of serving to fit a frame or door possibly of wood.

In opposite area THE CHANNELS AND THE SMALL PAN at the foot of the excellent rock might fulfill the collectors' function, to eliminate the dampness that they might filter through the rock. The small pan, for your(his,her,their) part, might be acting as part(report) of the overflow of the principal channel or be the common small pan of the pavements of habitat.

The blue arrows indicate the direction of fall of the water of rain that could filter under the wall as well as at the foot of the stone I shelter, later it(she) was gathered and spilt externally(outwardly) by the channel and other channels avoiding the encharcamiento of his(her,your) soil, also since(as,like) we see he(she) takes advantage to the north of the excellent rock as coat centralized of this structure.

PAVEMENT of the 2nd house

It is the lowest and big platform (orange Color in the illustrations) his(her,your) accomplishment was an ambitious project of remodeling of the useful usable space increasing approximately his(her,your) capacity from 3 to 7 persons, with a structural completely different typology, it is evolved from a limited(small) space and from quadrangular trend to the cruciform and more wide one, remaining the semidestroyed and secret first one for the walls of the second one.

This excavation the destruction of the half supposed west of the first house, to create partly THE SMALL BEDROOM of 2 ' 30 x 1,20 meters, which it could only without ending, since his(her,your) pavement is not levelled totally and remains higher and irregular than the rest of the lounge, probably because in this more humid zone or that was not necessary to work up to the soil since there was going a structure of wood and stone to raise the bed of the bed as(like) in other examples of bedrooms of caves where his(her,your) soil is irregular also. This small bedroom almost without space, it(he,she) determines the predominant new style of semicruciform trend that is imposed in the island.

The hole that one finds in the interior left corner of this bedroom possibly was a part(report) of the system of extraction in the carved(tooled) one, base of a temporary shoring or to be a part(report) of the anchorage of the mentioned bed bedroom.

As the hanging observes of this one 2 ª house superposes on the former pavement of the 1 ª house (in yellow) destroyed since(as) we see partially for his(her,your) expansion. The small bedroom west could not have existed since the typology of any of these structures habitacionales can have also an alone bedroom.

This Home demonstrates the cold and dampness that existed in the zone, since it is a question of a structure of evolved combustion, since it(he,she) possesses even a system of aeration, formed(trained) by a circular channel in his(her,your) bottom(fund), which he(she) communicates with a small rectangular small pan of concave bottom(fund) in the lowest level, element that would help to intensify(stimulate) also the fire as a tewel, in addition this channel ring would serve specially as outlet, on having been in the level lower that the central bottom(fund) of this Home, being able to evacuate rapidly the water of rain that they could fall(fall due) on flushed(passionate) Hoguera favoring it(he,she) was not going out since the highest central part would not get flooded on having fallen(having fallen due) the waters to the channel I ring, preventing that it(he,she) was getting flooded and extinguishing totally the heating fire, settling the fallen waters In the small rectangular small pan extracting the water accumulated from this one to hand.

Clear parallelisms with this ring channel as bottom(fund) of the Home - Stove, we have it in some existing in the central part of the pavements of carved(tooled) houses of the Painted cave in Galdar.

SECTION HOME - STOVE, ingenious system of functioning that avoids the subdued(switched off) total for encharcamiento, with the evacuation of the waters fallen(fallen due) principally across the chimney opened for the exit of smokes in the ceiling, or those who might flow for the pavement though it(he,she) is mas difficultly for the channels of outlets that turn them aside, the red arrow or celestial circle (arrives) indicates that the deposited water was extracted manually in sense of the arrow of the rectangular small pan, simultaneously this one in I dry close to the channel ring it(he,she) can use as tewel to intensify(stimulate) the fire.

THE OPENING IN THE CEILING (Chimney and skylight). On having existed always a Home - stove had that necessarily existed an exit of smokes and skylight as in other peoples(villages) and it is the first time that is published for the typology of the aboriginal houses of Great Canary, being reflected neither in the documentaries of introduction nor in the houses reconstructed during the visit to the archaeological park of the Cave Identical Galdar's, and we do not reject a cover of wood with handles that temporarily the above mentioned opening was closing in times of many rain or wind isolating temporarily of the strong inclemencies of the moment, since(as,like) found in the center close to the quadrangular home of a cruciform house in Arguineguín's Barn.

J.J. Jiménez Gonzalez supported the existence of a few channels that come together in the central small pan and a few engravings that represent the feminine sex, but we hold that these outlines, they neither are channels, they are not even a part(report) of the schematic outlines of a feminine figure, but Roque Nublo treats himself(herself) about simple cracks product of the erosion of the Roque Nublo agglomerate.

It is very usual to find about the homes, holes or bases for small columns of wood, we believe that BOTH HOLES NEAR TO THE HOME, answer to the foundation of two columns of wood which function is strengthens the vain one more weak person of the central zone of the ceiling close to his(her,your) opening or chimney.

Always the fight has been priority against the interference of the Dampness and the Water, managing them to evacuate her of the inhabitable interiors, by what a system of outlet is added since(as,like) it happened from the former structure, the same reason facilitated, another CHANNEL ALSO IN THE SHAPE OF "L" placed in the this and south side of the central lounge, and in whose(which) interior at the foot of the next corner exists a hole that could use as well of residues during the outlet, as well as also a small section in the north side that drenarían the waters below the paraments of the half west, avoiding the flood of the principal pavement or rectangular lounge, which includes the oven.

Also they repeat themselves, in relation to the ancient structure, the small PARALLEL CHANNELS ON THE VERGE OF THE DOOR, which in this case they combine on the mentioned channel of outlet. These brands(marks) belong(concern) to a system of closing more sophisticated that the previous one, treats itself(himself,herself) about a small door that it was fitted to pressure. Parallelisms exist with the brands(marks) of a plank of the permanent exhibition of The Canary Museum, and that could be the lintel or threshold of a door of a habitat.
Rightly in the exterior(foreign) edge of the threshold of entry one is reduce or step to facilitate the entry or exit to this habitat.

In the same access and before seeing the pavements, it(he,she) arrives at the right in the vertical wall, there exists a CARVED(TOOLED) CHANNEL that might relate to anchorages for supports of scaffolding of a structure or necessary stairs to go down or to rise in view of the difficulty of the access which the vertical wall faces and probably house could belong(concern) to the old woman entered(approached) to the 1 ª house or ancient.

On the left side of the entry of the cave, it(he,she) has excavated a canalillo vierteaguas that they favor the diversion of the water of rain proceeding from the top rock preventing from leaking on his(her,your) entry. This cave could have been a complement to the refuge in this strategic defensive area and to be the first coat of the most ancient epoch and probably synchronously with the first quadrangular house.

Calligraphic signs

It is on the rocky wall of a small cave where food was stored, on the north side of Bentayga rock. It was excavated in a rock that stands separated from Bentayga rock itself. Its door is also orientated towards the south, fited into a groove that effectively sealed the access. Said access went through the house that stood there.

The pictogram, rather worn, may have been painted later to the use of this cave as a silo. Entering by the left side - the most illuminated part - brings to sight a red pictograph of alphabetical type, with what seems to be 3 or 4 letters coloured with red ochre. It may be calligraphy of Moslem origin.

=== EL VERTEDERO === 
It identifies for the archaeological materials fallen(fallen due) under the thresholds of the doors of the pavements and of the small cave I shelter, To the south foot of the lateral comb below(down) and to the right of the major tunnel, they are the most frequent typical materials since(as,like) they are a fragment of circular mill, ceramic fragments and líticos as well as tools of stone that come from this area spreading up to managing or to happen(pass) on the wall of this south face.)

For if it(he) was small, OTHER HOUSES EXCAVATED in the island EXIST, there where the strategic situation allows it and the rock is softer(smoother) for his(her,your) carved(tooled) one, one of them is at the far end to the west of the rocky crestería in the penultimate roque or archaeological set of the Caves of the King, to a few meters to the right of the principal cave, similar characteristics to 2 ª house of the pavements diacrónicos. The excavated structure is high and completes with cruciform plant(floor), his(her,your) pavement is full of lands and stones for what "I" "venture" that another possible home - similar stove could exist in the center of his(her,your) central pavement to previously described, or not to exist because it(he,she) was on pavement.

Definitively with this study in the zone, the structures habitacionales of surface of quadrangular plant(floor) are more ancient than her(it) cruciform, this architectural evolution could spread over the whole island or that the small cabins never have a trend semi or cruciform since it is planned for major spaces since(as,like) we have seen, being able these plants(floors) be even contemporary in some time.

On the other hand THE SUPERFICIAL CONSERVATION of these structures worked in the Agglomerate Roque Nublo, is in setback due to the erosion that dissolves the softest(smoothest) zones standing out the hardest, and these points can be easily eliminated by the footwear of the visitors who there travel, increasing the superficial regression that blurs part(report) of the original elements.

In friendly conversations some professionals without publishing it, admit that there was a structure of stone habitations on these pavements worked as we are defending, since clear parallelisms are observed by the houses of the cave identical with Galdar, others recognize almost the same thing but risking once again to that this one was a sanctuary or almogaren, as house of prayer(sentence), without having either tests(proofs) or arguments since there are no parallelisms and others allude that " it is not possible to change the history ", or the mistake, since they do not recognize these tests(proofs) continuing with the initial interpretation during 23 años mas. " Turning it into a very recent myth. "

To debate constructively this interpretation it is necessary to put in the same plane of technical debate, or without gremialismos and admitting that another alternative study exists since(as,like) I have raised, to debate, to be out of line or to affirm element for architectural element the most logical functionality of these structures excavated in his(her,your) archaeological context, since the principal mistake has been to spend(pass) the fans' theory of professionals and from these to other professionals without these were checking they were not even penetrating into her(it) and without give options either to debates or to other alternatives like that we have investigated and exhibited.

The settlement of Roque Bentayga has an ‘almogarén’, place of worship for the ancient aborigines. In it two rock stations Libyan-Berber alphabetiforms were found. Best to see it: at sunset.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).]]

Grau-Bassas is the only one to have recorded the presence and aspect of a curious solitary stone on the north side of the rock, that bears a natural hollow and that he thought to be a sacrificial stone.

Surroundings

Los Roques

In the foothills of Roque Bentayga (1440 m) three scattered nucleus are distinguished: Cuevas del Rey, Roque del Camello, Roque Bentayga. The three nucleuses made a total of one hundred caves which are connected by a path of great aboriginal value that goes through the northern side of the rook and a tunnel-cave which goes through the mountain. 

Las Cuevas del Rey or del Guayre was a human settlement made of cave houses and cave granaries hand-dug into

the porous sections of the Roque Nublo breccia. 

The caves are interconnected with hand-dug stairs and passages.

The dwellings have varied floor plans and some are cruciform. Some still bear their inside paints, based on white, black and red. The houses show channels and basins (cazoletas) dug into the floor.

Some silos still retain traces of white paste which waterproofed the glass.

Roque del Camello

In the Roque del Camello was located the necropolis, which also get advantage to the natural shelters of the field.

Andén de Tasarte

Tasarte is a village in the east (inland-side) of the coastal municipality of la Aldea de San Nicolás. The name of Tasarte is also that of a barranco and valley nearby; it is believed to have been that of a Guayre.

The andén de Tasarte ("platform of Tasarte") forms a bar that roughly follows an east-west direction, , with the village of La Solana beneath it. View south-west from Roque Bentayga.

• Bentayga rock seen from Tejeda
• 
• Ritual place (almogarén) on Bentayga rock
• Left to right: El Nublo and Bentayga.
  On the horizon, the Teide mountain.
• View from Las Nueves mountain
• Part view of the Caldera de Tejeta. From left to right: Roque del Nublo, Timagada, Andén de Tasarte, Roque Bentayga and Los Roques. The cuevas del Rey are by the first peak on the right.

Conservation issues

June 7, 1988

Roque Bentayga, Roque de las Cuevas and Roque Narices were declared Spanish Properties of cultural interest by the same decree passed on December 18, 1990.

Other archaeological parks in Grand Canary

The Network of Archaeological parks of Grand Canary open to the public also includes the Four Doors cave site in Telde, the caves of Valeron (cenobio de Valeron) in Santa Maria de Guia, the Arteara necropolis in Fataga, El Maipes necropolis in Agaete, the Cats' ravine (cañada de los Gatos) on Mogán beach near Puerto de Mogán, and the Painted cave (cueva Pintada) museum and archaeological park in Galdar.

Roque de las Cuevas and Roque Narices in Tejeda territory are also Properties of cultural interest ("Bien de Interés Cultural").

Similar structures

See also

External links

Bibliography

• Mederos Martin, Alfredo; Escribano Cobo, Gabriel (2002). Los aborígenes y la prehistoria de Canarias. Centro de la Cultura Popular Canaria. ISBN 84-7926-382-2.

Notes and references

Notes

1. Video (0.28') of the Caldera de Tejeda seen from the Degollada de la Becerra. On youtube.com.
2. Mederos Martin & al., p. 27: photo of the ritual place or almogaren on Bentayga rock.
3. In Interpretacion del mal llamado almogaren del Bentayga, see the photo "El mal llamado almogaren del Bentayga (25 años de error)".
4. The possibility of the so-called "almogarén" for having been a single house later redesigned and incorporated into another dwelling was also published in Archaeology magazine nr. 256, August, 2002. See Interpretacion del mal llamado almogaren del Bentayga.
5. ^ In Interpretacion del mal llamado almogaren del Bentayga, see the double drawing with two drawings side by side respectively called "1ª casa" and "2ª casa", before the section called "La pequeña cueva". This drawing provides a possible aspect of the two successive houses and shows how the second house reused some elements of the first house, fitting to the present remains.
   See also in the same âge the drawing called "Recreación ideal de la sección de la 1ª casa" ("Virtual re-creation of the section of the 1 house"), and the one just one paragraph above it: "Plano 1ª casa" (Pln 1 house").
6. ^ In Interpretacion del mal llamado almogaren del Bentayga, see the drawing "Descripción pavimentos diacrónicos". Cite error: The named reference "pintdrDrainwater" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
7. In Interpretacion del mal llamado almogaren del Bentayga, see the combined photo and drawing "Seccion hogar - estufa". The photo shows the remains as they are now; the picture shows how such a stove worked.
8. ^ The lord was called a Guayre. See Template:Es Guía de senderos de las medianías de Gran Canaria or Explora Gran Canaria - Caldera de Tejeda.

References

1. ^ Beyond the Beaches of Gran Canaria - Bentayga. October 29, 1999.
2. ^ Template:Es Explora Gran Canaria - Route 4: Caldera de Tejeda.
3. ^ Template:Es BOC (Boletín Oficial de Canarias) N° 06, published on January 14, 1991; whereby on December 18, 1990 Roque Bentayga, Roque de las Cuevas and Roque Narices are declared Spanish Properties of cultural interest under the name "zona arqueologica de Bentaiga and los roques" (see map on page 2 of this document).
4. ^ Template:Es Francisco Javier Gil Rodríguez. Andén de Tasarte, topónimo que resiste el paso del tiempo ("Andén de Tasarte, toponyme that resists the pasage of time"). September 6, 2015.
5. ^ Template:Es Interpretacion del mal llamado almogaren del Bentayga ("Interpretation of the ill-named ritual place of Bentayga"), on pintaderacanaria. January 10, 2009. The author is a restorer and artist for the Escuela Oficial de Madrid and archaeology specialist for the Escuela de campo de Gran Canaria; he is also part of the Comisión de Arqueología del Museo Canario.
6. ^ Rock Bentayga on googlemaps.com.
7. ^ Interactive map of Heritage sites on Grand Canary island. On estodotuyo.com, site on Heritage assets by the council of Grand Canary. For the information on Roque Bentayga, click on the first blue pin to the left of Tejeda (a text appears on the left of the map). The antique cave house village of cuevas del Rey is marked by the blue pin next to it on the left, and the antique cave house village of Acusa Seca is again the blue pin next to the latter on its left.
8. ^ Topographic map of Grand Canary island on en-us.topographic-map.com.
9. Template:Es Artenara - BIC on grancanaria.es. Note: "BIC" stands for "Bien de Interés Cultural" ("Property of cultural interest").
10. Template:Es (Property of cultural interest), March 11, 2010. Published in B.O.C. (Boletín Oficial de Canarias) nr. 61] on March 26, 2010.
11. Template:Es Ana Santana (2015). Una violenta erupción creó una gigantesca caldera de colapso en Gran Canaria - Tejeda, un claro ejemplo a nivel planetario de una caldera de colapso ("A violent eruption creates a gigantic collapse crater in Grand Canary - Tejeda, a clear exemple on a planetary level of a collapse crater"). Santa Cruz de Tenerife, March 26, 2015. On efeverde.com.
12. Mederos Martin & al. 2002, p. 27.
13. Mederos Martin & al. 2002, p. 141.
14. Template:Es Jiménez Sánchez, J. Excavaciones Arqueológicas en Gran Canaria del Plan Nacional de 1942, 1943 y 1944 ("Archaeological digs in Grand Canary, National Plan of 1942, 1943 and 1944"). Madrid, 1946.
15. Ernesto Martin Rodríguez. Los lugares de culto en las cimas de las montañas. Magazine El pino - historia, tradición y espiritualidad canaria nr 25. 2002
16. César Esteban, Juan Antonio Belmonte and Antonio Aparicio. Arqueoastronomía Hispánica, chapter 6: Astronomía y calendario entre las culturas aborígenes Canarias ("Astronomy and calendar in the Canarian aboriginal cultures").
17. J. Alberto Bachiller Gil. La ciudad en la prehistoria. Los asentamientos prehispánicos en la isla de Gran Canaria como objeto de análisis ("The city in prehistory. The pre-Hispanic settlements in the island of Great Canary as object of analysis"). In magazine el Pajar nr 21, August 2006. A photo of the so-called almogarén is described as an enclave associated with the practice of rites and an astronomic observatory.
18. Alfredo Mederos Martin and Gabriel Escribano Cobo. Los Aborígenes y la Prehistoria de Canarias (The Aborigines and The Prehistory of Canaries).
19. Alfredo Mederos Martin, Vicente Valencia Afonso, Gabriel Escribano Cobo. Arte Rupestre de la Prehistoria de las islas Canarias (Rock Art of the Prehistory of the islands Canaries). 2003. page 83 is photo of the place with the legend: "Sight of the almogaren in the top of the Roque de Bentayga".
20. ^ Cite error: The named reference exploraCaldera was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
21. Municipality of La Aldea de San Nicolás on googlemaps.com.

[[:Category:History of the Canary Islands [[:Category:Gran Canaria [[:Category:Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in the Canary Islands [[:Category:Archaeological sites in Spain [[:Category:Visitor attractions in the Canary Islands [[Category:Landforms of Spain [[Category:Mountains of the Canary Islands