THEMATIC UNIT: CANARY ISLANDS
SPANISH MINISTRY OF CULTURE, CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURES AND FACILITIES
COORDINATION, PRODUCTION, ASSEMBLY AND GLOBAL MANAGEMENT
2015
The Guanche Mummy of Madrid, also known as the Barranco de Herques Mummy, is one of the best-preserved examples of the Guanche people, the ancient inhabitants of Tenerife, Canary Islands. Discovered in 1776 in the Barranco de Herques ravine, located between the towns of Güímar and Fasnia, the mummy has been an object of fascination and study since it was found.
In December 2015, a major project was undertaken to evaluate the conservation and exhibition of the mummy, leading to its removal from the National Anthropology Museum to the National Archaeological Museum (MAN) in Madrid for presentation in the section dedicated to the prehistory of the Canary Islands.
The transfer of this exceptional piece involved a meticulous security protocol to avoid its deterioration. Specialist fine art transport agents carried out the process, ensuring controlled environmental conditions throughout the journey.
On arrival at the MAN, the mummy was installed in a display case specially designed to meet its particular conservation needs. The case is fitted with an innovative air conditioning and filter system that maintains optimal temperature and relative humidity parameters, which are crucial for the preservation of organic materials.
Carbon-14 dating studies were also carried out to determine the age of the mummy, placing it between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries CE.
The exhibition of the Guanche Mummy at the National Archaeological Museum has enabled visitors to gain a deeper knowledge of the Guanche culture and to obtain a close-up view of one of the most impressive testimonies of pre-Hispanic funerary practices in the Canary Islands.
The transfer of this exceptional piece involved a meticulous security protocol to avoid its deterioration. Specialist fine art transport agents carried out the process, ensuring controlled environmental conditions throughout the journey.
On arrival at the MAN, the mummy was installed in a display case specially designed to meet its particular conservation needs. The case is fitted with an innovative air conditioning and filter system that maintains optimal temperature and relative humidity parameters, which are crucial for the preservation of organic materials.
Carbon-14 dating studies were also carried out to determine the age of the mummy, placing it between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries CE.
The exhibition of the Guanche Mummy at the National Archaeological Museum has enabled visitors to gain a deeper knowledge of the Guanche culture and to obtain a close-up view of one of the most impressive testimonies of pre-Hispanic funerary practices in the Canary Islands.
CLIENT
SPANISH MINISTRY OF CULTURE, CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURES AND FACILITIES
TYPE
TEMPORARY EXHIBITION
PROJECT
FRADE ARQUITECTOS
LOCATION
NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
AREA
- m²
PHOTOS
©YPUNTO ENDING
Cartela y vitrina con piezas arqueológicas de la cultura guanche
