Animales y ritual. Los registros fáunicos de las aras de sacrificio del Alto de Garajonay (La Gomera, Islas Canarias)

Abstract

This paper addresses the meaning of animals in the sanctuary of Garajonay, in La Gomera. It is a main sacred place for the Prehispanic population, in which they systematically used to perform ritual celebrations within the time period between ss. vii-xii ad cal. These activities took place in the sacrificial altars where various products, essential for the survival of the ancient inhabitants, were burned. For this purpose faunal repertoires have been studied, establishing their composition and processing patterns. It is concluded a standardized behavior defined by the sacrifice of domestic animals, with a rigid selection of skeletal parts actives in the ritual. In that process the fire plays a key role, contributing to the consecration of certain social practices. It has also been analyzed the meaning of such practices in the ideological framework of those populations.