How Geography Shaped the Diet of the Canary Islands’ First Inhabitants

A scientific study has shown how the geographical nature of the Canary Islands dictated the diet of the original natives of the islands.

Photo: HOLA ISLAS CANARIAS

The study, by scientists from the Universities of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Burgos, has shown marked differences between the diets of natives of the western and eastern islands.

While those on the greener western islands lived mainly on crops and livestock, the Mahos on the flatter, drier eastern islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura were forced to supplement their diet with seafood to a much greater extent.

Bone analysis of 457 skeletons dating from the 1^st to the 15^th centuries also showed that natives of the eastern islands ate animals from higher up in the food chain, such as seabirds and seals.

The western islands have always been greener and more fertile than the eastern islands due to their height, which regularly exceeds 1,500 metres. This traps clouds and moisture, leading to greater vegetation and the possibility of pasturing for livestock.

The study seems to be borne out by sites such as the Peña de Las Cucharas-Fiquinineo near Famara (pictured above), where countless limpet shells can still be seen.