La Arqueología en la Educación: propuesta didáctica para el estudio de la geografía y la historia de Canarias a través de un yacimiento arqueológico

Actually, Archeology and Archaeological Heritage represent a great attraction for teachers in order to complement theoretical classes, especially in History subject, with field trips and practical activities. However, the presence of Archeology in curricular designs is excessively discreet and little used. In this work a brief reflection on the current state of the relationship between archeology and education has been made. In addition, an educational proposal that uses a concrete archaeological site has been developed, using the site of Bencomo Street, in San Cristobal de La Laguna (Tenerife), as a didactic resource to develop objectives, contents and competences, present in the curriculum of the subject of free configuration "Geography and History of the Canary Islands", 4rd of ESO (Obligatory Secondary Education).En la actualidad, la Arqueología y el Patrimonio Arqueológico representan un gran aliciente para el profesorado a la hora de complementar las clases teóricas, especialmente de Historia, mediante actividades prácticas, incluidas las salidas de campo. Sin embargo, la presencia de la Arqueología en los diseños curriculares de la Educación Secundaria resulta excesivamente discreta y poco aprovechada. En este trabajo se realiza una breve reflexión sobre el estado actual de la relación entre arqueología y educación. Además, se desarrolla una propuesta educativa que utiliza un yacimiento arqueológico concreto, el ubicado en la calle Bencomo, en San Cristóbal de La Laguna (Tenerife) como recurso didáctico para profundizar en algunos criterios de evaluación y reforzar algunas competencias, presentes en el currículum de la asignatura de libre configuración “Geografía e Historia de Canarias”, de 4º de la E.S.O. (Educación Secundaria Obligatoria)

Experimentación en arqueología

El presente trabajo constituye una reflexión sobre las aportaciones de la experimentación a la investigación arqueológica de las producciones líticas. Estas se dividirán en dos grandes apartados: por una parte, los análisis tecnológicos de las industrias líticas, centrados en reconstruir los procesos de elaboración de los útiles líticos prehistóricos; y por otra, los análisis funcionales y traceológicos, que buscan establecer el uso de las herramientas prehistóricas. El trabajo se complementa con el tratamiento de los debates suscitados en torno a las aplicaciones del método experimental en arqueología, para concluir con una reflexión general sobre la arqueología experimental, y sus perspectivas de futuro en la investigación arqueológica.The present work reflects about the applied experimentation contributions to the archeological research in lithic industry. These contributions were divided into two main topics: the technology or technological analysis of the lithic industry, focused on the reconstruction of the manufacture process of prehistoric stone tools; and the functional analysis, like traceology, that tries to establish the specific use of prehistoric instruments. Moreover, the discussion point out the controversial aspects about the experimental method in archeology, to conclude with a general observation about experimental archeology, and its future perspective in the archeological research

Virtual skeletons and digital muscles: an experimental bioarchaeological approach to the pre-Hispanic production of millstones (Tenerife, Canary Islands)

Highlights: • The combination of biomechanical analysis and open-access Kinovea software enables the study of musculoskeletal and articular wear of experimentally reproduced tasks. • The repeated use of the right arm during indirect percussion and abrasion in lithic production could increase the changes in bone robusticity of specific muscle attachments observed in the osteoarchaeological record. • Motion ranges and postural angles analysis can generate more accurate representations of "virtual humans" in their archaeological context. Abstract: Understanding the physical impact of ancient labours has become an important experimental bioarchaeology area. Complex motion capture systems and digital tools have been used in biomechanical analysis during the reproduction of manual tasks. However, these systems are costly, so the researchers have explored alternative digital solutions. Therefore, the open-access Kinovea software was checked to confirm its reliability in characterizing the physical loads associated with particular works of ancient times. In this case study, the authors have analyzed the central postural angles and muscle chains involved in the indigenous manufacturing process of rotary stone mills, in the high mountains of Tenerife. The study included a virtual motion capture analysis carried out during the different phases of the experimental reproduction of this process; it was defined from the archaeological record of the quarries-workshops of Las Cañadas del Teide National Park (Canary Islands, Spain) volcanic millstones. The results of this study have demonstrated the software's effectiveness to virtually analyze the significant differences in posture between work techniques, observing a predominance of the use of m. biceps brachii, the m. brachioradialis, and the elbow joint during the manufacture of stone mills. On the other hand, Kinovea also has excellent potential in virtual archaeology, giving users tools to generate the average postural angles. As a result, building "virtual skeletons" in more precise work postures has been possible. This may serve as the base element to create complete body representations in virtual environments

Las investigaciones arqueológicas como recurso en la gestión integral del patrimonio del Parque Nacional del Teide

[EN] The Teide National Park (PNT) was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2007 with the category of Natural Heritage. In addition to the great geological and faunal richness of the high mountains of Tenerife, the territory occupied by the current National Park also has a whole cultural landscape, which is evidenced by numerous archaeological and ethnographic manifestations. This shows the historical importance of this site of the island since pre-Hispanic times. In the last decade, several archaeological excavations have been carried out which have made it possible to better determine the Guanche way of life and the uses of this territory in its diachrony. The location, the conservation that the archaeological assets present and the information they are providing, together with the written sources generated about this territory after the conquest, constitute an important strategic reference for the development of management and integral research formulas within the Park's dissemination activities, which could contribute to its conservation, and to a better knowledge of our past in order to be able to transmit it to the whole population of the island, as well as to those who visit it.[ES] El Parque Nacional del Teide (PNT) fue declarado Patrimonio Mundial de la Humanidad por la Unesco en el año 2007 con categoría de Bien Natural. Además de la gran riqueza geológica y faunística que atesora la alta montaña de Tenerife, el territorio que ocupa el actual Parque Nacional entraña también todo un paisaje cultural evidenciado a través de numerosas manifestaciones arqueológicas y etnográficas, lo que pone de manifiesto la importancia histórica de este enclave de la isla desde época prehispánica. En la última década se han realizado varias excavaciones arqueológicas que han permitido determinar mejor el modo de vida guanche y los usos de este territorio en su diacronía. La ubicación, la conservación que presentan los bienes arqueológicos y la información que están aportando, junto con las fuentes escritas generadas sobre este territorio tras la conquista, constituyen un importante referente estratégico para el desarrollo de fórmulas de gestión e investigación integral dentro de las actividades de difusión del Parque, lo que podría contribuir a su conservación, y a un mejor conocimiento de nuestro pasado para poder transmitirlo a toda la población de la isla, así como a los que la visitan.Marrero Salas, E.; Array De La Rosa, M.; García Ávila, J.; Abreu Hernández, I.; Lacave Hernández, A.; Carballo Pérez, J.; Sanchez Cañadilla, E.... (2021). Las investigaciones arqueológicas como recurso en la gestión integral del patrimonio del Parque Nacional del Teide. En I Simposio anual de Patrimonio Natural y Cultural ICOMOS España. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 223-230. https://doi.org/10.4995/icomos2019.2019.11720OCS22323

Esqueletos virtuales y músculos digitales: una aproximación experimental bioarqueológica de la producción prehispánica de molinos de piedra (Tenerife, Islas Canarias)

[EN] Understanding the physical impact of ancient labours has become an important experimental bioarchaeology area. Complex motion capture systems and digital tools have been used in biomechanical analysis during the reproduction of manual tasks. However, these systems are costly, so the researchers have explored alternative digital solutions. Therefore, the open-access Kinovea software was checked to confirm its reliability in characterizing the physical loads associated with particular works of ancient times. In this case study, the authors have analyzed the central postural angles and muscle chains involved in the indigenous manufacturing process of rotary stone mills, in the high mountains of Tenerife. The study included a virtual motion capture analysis carried out during the different phases of the experimental reproduction of this process; it was defined from the archaeological record of the quarries-workshops of Las Cañadas del Teide National Park (Canary Islands, Spain) volcanic millstones. The results of this study have demonstrated the software's effectiveness to virtually analyze the significant differences in posture between work techniques, observing a predominance of the use of m. biceps brachii, the m. brachioradialis, and the elbow joint during the manufacture of stone mills. On the other hand, Kinovea also has excellent potential in virtual archaeology, giving users tools to generate the average postural angles. As a result, building "virtual skeletons" in more precise work postures has been possible. This may serve as the base element to create complete body representations in virtual environments. Highlights: The combination of biomechanical analysis and open-access Kinovea software enables the study of musculoskeletal and articular wear of experimentally reproduced tasks. The repeated use of the right arm during indirect percussion and abrasion in lithic production could increase the changes in bone robusticity of specific muscle attachments observed in the osteoarchaeological record. Motion ranges and postural angles analysis can generate more accurate representations of "virtual humans" in their archaeological context.[ES] La comprensión del impacto físico de las labores del pasado se ha convertido en una importante área de la arqueología experimental. En el análisis biomecánico de la reproducción de tareas manuales se han venido utilizando frecuentemente complejos sistemas de captura de movimiento y marcadores reflectantes. Sin embargo, estos sistemas son muy caros, así que hemos explorado soluciones digitales alternativas. De esta forma, hemos querido comprobar la fiabilidad del software de open-access Kinovea en la caracterización de las cargas físicas asociadas con ciertos trabajos del pasado. En este caso de estudio, hemos analizado los principales ángulos posturales y las cadenas musculares involucradas en la manufactura indígena de los bloques de molino rotatorio en la alta montaña de Tenerife. Para ello, se ha llevado a cabo un análisis virtual de captura de movimiento durante las distintas fases de la reproducción experimental de este proceso, definido a partir del registro arqueológico de las canteras-taller de piedra de molino volcánica, halladas en el Parque Nacional de Las Cañadas del Teide (Islas Canarias, España). Los resultados de este estudio han demostrado la eficacia del software para analizar virtualmente las diferencias significativas de postura entre técnicas de trabajo, observándose un predominio del uso del m. bíceps brachii, el m. brachioradialis, y la articulación del codo durante la fabricación de molinos de piedra. Por otro lado, Kinovea también tiene un gran potencial en el campo de la arqueología virtual, ya que se han podido generar los ángulos posturales promedios. A partir de estos, se ha podido constituir unos esqueletos virtuales en unas posturas de trabajo más precisas, los cuales podrán servir como elemento base para constituir representaciones corporales completas en entornos virtuales.The research submitted in this article has been made possible thanks to a funding PhD grant from the Spanish Ministry of University ("Formación de Personal Universitario/FPU") and funding from Fundación La Caixa project "Study and conservation of archaeological remains in the context of the Guanche millstones' quarries-workshops in Las Cañadas del Teide. A proposal of environmental and heritage sustainability". Additional funds were provided by the Dirección General de Patrimonio Cultural – Gobierno de Canarias. Also, we would like to thank the archaeological company PRORED Soc. Coop. for managing the archaeological interventions and supporting the experimental works. The virtual reconstruction of the structure in Figure 17 has been performed by PRORED Soc Coop, while the VS was created by the corresponding authorCarballo-Pérez, J.; Marrero-Gordillo, N.; Lacave-Hernández, A.; Arnay-De-La-Rosa, M. (2023). Virtual skeletons and digital muscles: an experimental bioarchaeological approach to the pre-Hispanic production of millstones (Tenerife, Canary Islands). Virtual Archaeology Review. 14(28):19-37. https://doi.org/10.4995/var.2023.177811937142