The 15th century skeletons discovered at the San Marcial del Rubicón archaeological site near Papagayo were buried face-up with their hands crossed over their bodies, a practice that is common among Christian burials.
This is one of the details that the academics in charge of the excavation of the first European settlement on the Canaries have revealed to the press.
In an interview with La Voz de Lanzarote, Esther Chavez, one of the professors in charge of the dig, has described the work that remains to be done after the excavation finishes for the year. This will involve carbon-dating of remains, cataloguing discoveries and carefully covering the site to ensure it is not disturbed until archaeologists return.
Chávez described how the remains of the settlement at Sann Marical del Rubicón could be more extensive than previously thought, extending well beyond the area that was marked off in the 1990s. She also claimed that the discovery of the skeletons had attracted many onlookers to the site, and this had proved “·stressful” for the researchers.
The housing shortage in Yaiza has also affected the dig, which is being carried out by students from the universities of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and La Laguna in Tenerife. Chávez described how high rental prices meant that the project could only afford two flats and two cars, limiting participants to ten.
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