History of Fuerteventura - Guancho villages

The newly restored aboriginal village in La Atalayita, Pozo Negro only opened its doors in April 2006.

The original inhabitants of the Canaries were known as Guanches - named after "guan" meaning man and "achinch" meaning White Mountain - a reference to the snow capped Mount Teide in Tenerife.

They lived a Stone Age existence, buried their dead and , like ancient Egyptians, mummified their chiefs and form an essential part of the history of Fuerteventura.

In Tenerife, Bencome - the leader or "mencey" of the tribe - led a stubborn resistance against the Conquistadors with flint axes and slings while in Fuerteventura, the Maxorata kings Ayoze and Guise first welcomed the Europeans - thanks partly to the conniving of two mother and daughter soothsayers - before becoming offended by their habits.

This aboriginal village was used after the Spanish conquest by shepherds to graze their flocks and visitors

can not only see the newly restored site but also catch a glimpse of the original methods used by farmers.

The village was discovered late and the first studies during the 1950s and 1960s were undertaken by Spanish archaeologist Sebastian Jimenez Sanchez who named the site El Saladillo.

It wasn't until the 1970s that the first excavations took place uncovering vast amounts of artifacts including hand painted pottery and necklaces made from shells.

In 2005, La Atalayita was declared a site being of national importance.

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