Object description

Risco Caído is a land-form and archaeological site on the island of Gran Canaria, Spain. The site contains prehistoric cave dwellings, temples, and granaries attributed to the pre-hispanic culture of the Canary Islands. It is also considered to have been used as an astronomical observatory by Aboriginal people. In July 2019, Risco Caído was named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the first World Heritage Site of the island of Gran Canaria and the province of Las Palmas and the fifth of the Canary Islands. Located in a vast mountainous area in the centre of Gran Canaria, Risco Caído comprises cliffs, ravines and volcanic formations in a landscape of rich biodiversity. The landscape includes a large number of troglodyte settlements habitats, granaries and cisterns whose age is proof of the presence of a pre-Hispanic culture on the island, which has evolved in isolation, from the arrival of North African Berbers, around the beginning of our era, until the first Spanish settlers in the 15th century. The troglodyte complex also includes cult cavities and two sacred temples, or almogarenes Risco Caído and Roque Bentayga where seasonal ceremonies were held. These temples are thought to be linked to a possible cult of the stars and Mother Earth.