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The Guanches people were strongly influenced by the civilization and culture of ancient Egypt. When the people from Europe arrived many years later, the Guanches still mummify their dead and speak a language recognizably derived from that of the Barbers.
If you are interested in the Gunaches style of living you should visit ‘Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre’, Museum of Nature and Man. You can find there much of the evidence of Guanche culture relates to burial. Exhibits include Guanche preserved bodies in a display on mummification, as well as skeletons and hundreds of skulls. You can also find there displays of Guanche household items, pottery, tools and body decorations.
Very little remains of the Guanches culture today. We know that gofio, flour made from roasted maize, dates back to them as well as special techniques of wrestling and simple musical instruments. Guanches people live was very simple, they never even used wheels. They also used a method of cultivation whereby a thin layer of porous pumice is spread across the field so that moisture can be absorbed.
After many fights Guanches were finally defeated by Spanish forces. On Christmas Day 1495 they were forced to concede total defeat at La Victoria de Acentejo. Thousands of Guancha people were murdered that day. In this village pots are still made in Guanche fashion, without the use of a wheel.
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