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Today, Telde conserves one of the richest archaeological and historical-artistic heritages of the archipelago, among which the foundational centers stand out, where the simplicity of the Mudéjar is harmoniously combined with all the other architectural styles (San Juan Foundational Zone, Historic-Artistic Complex of San Francisco and Los Llanos de San Gregorio or Jaraquemada).
Next, the following archaeological monuments and settlements are highlighted:
- Tara
In the same neighborhood of Tara, there is the housing complex formed by artificial caves excavated in the rock. In this deposit have been found figurillas antropomorfasIn the same neighborhood of Tara, there is the housing complex formed by artificial caves excavated in the rock. In this deposit have been found
- Cendro
Town of artificial caves and houses built with stones without any component of mortar, located in the upper plain called Caserones, habiéndose reutilizado parte del complejo en épocas históricas.
- Cuatro Puertas
An artificial cave made of volcanic tuff, located in Montaña Bermeja, three kilometers from the city, it is one of the largest archaeological sites in the archipelago. It owes its name to the four entrances as doors that lead to the great room. In the upper part of the promontory we find the so-called "almogarén", a place of worship for the deities of nature, this set is completed with numerous caves, among which we highlight the one of los Papeles y la de las Columnas.
- Tufia
Located near the coast in the fishing district of Tufia, a deposit of remarkable proportion. The caves and the complex of rough stone houses with some paved roads, indicate a typological advance that takes us to the very doors of the first urban conceptions.
- Llano de las Brujas y Restinga
Situado cerca de la costa en la playa Bocarbarranco. Este es uno de los enclaves básicos. En la actualidad para comprender las etapas sucesivas de la secuencia cultural de nuestra Isla. Asentamiento que comprende tres estructuras habitacionales construidas con rodados de basalto y sillares labrados.
Access to the deposits
Los yacimientos del Baladero, Cendro, Cuatro Puertas, Tara, Tufia, Las Huesas y el llamado Llano de las Brujas, they are of very easy access and extraordinary archaeological importance; some are located in the outskirts of the current city, and others a few kilometers away. The deposits of Cendro, Tara y el Baladero They are made up of cave-room complexes, sometimes made artificially, and others taking advantage of caves of volcanic origin. Even today, many of them are still used as the home of the current Teldenses, given their unbeatable living conditions.
El yacimiento del Baladero It is located at the very foot of the historic-artistic complex of San Francisco, and in addition to its notable troglodyte manifestations, it has a significant number of "bowls" and "canalillos" for libations, so it is assumed that we are facing one of the most important magical-religious places of aboriginal culture.
Cendro y Tara It is located about a thousand meters from the center of the city of Telde.
Three kilometers from the city along the old road from Telde to Ingenio, in Montaña Bermeja, is one of the largest archaeological sites in the “Cuatro Puertas” Archipelago. We will reach it after ascending the northern slope of the mountain, at the top of which we will find a room that is accessed after four large cavities excavated in the volcanic tuff, and on this enclosure a magnificent "altar of libations" in which ancient solar rites. Completing this set, in its southern part, numerous caves, among which we highlight the one of Los Papeles y la de Las Columnas. From this promontory you can see one of the most attractive panoramic views of the region.
Located on the right bank, heading south-north of the GC-1 motorway, we find several deposits of unquestionable importance. Among them, the Tufia it is the one of most remarkable proportions; here, the caves and the complex of rough stone houses, together with some cobbled roads, indicate a typological advance that takes us to the very gates of protohistoric urbanism, and a change of mentality in its inhabitants, pushed by demographic pressure and the climate change (argument recently defended by some authors).
El yacimiento del Llano de las Brujas it is of very difficult affiliation; It has recently been excavated and restored, and all indications are that it has been successively reused; this question that explains by itself, the very close deposit of La Restinga, at the mouth of the Real de Telde ravine.
Route:
Cuatro Puertas
The archaeological site of Cuatro Puertas is an essential visit for anyone interested in the history of the Canary Islands. The ancient Canarians chose this mountain to build a whole series of constructions: they carved the volcanic tuff, decorated its walls and sculpted, with their rudimentary tools, structures that have survived until today. We invite you to get to know this place by imagining how they lived; drawing the roofs, touching the warm vermilion stone, feeling the shelter of the caves, dodging passageways and cavities.
To access it, we go up the main street of the town of Cuatro Puertas (Public transport lines of Global nº 35 and 36 – www.globalsu.es) to its end and walk along the dirt track that goes up to the door of the archaeological complex. . Once inside, we turn right to climb some stone steps and access the Four Doors complex, a large cavity preceded by a huge artificial platform. If we get a little closer to the top of the mountain we can see the Almogarén, a circular structure carved into the rock, usually considered a place dedicated to worship.
We go back to return to the main path and access the south side of the mountain, following the enabled walkway, and enter the Cueva de los Papeles, where there are representations of pubic triangles and vulvas engraved on the interior walls and cups on the floor. We advance a little more and arrive at the troglodyte complex of Los Pilares. They are a set of artificial caves excavated within large natural overlaps.
Then we go out to the entrance gate of the enclosure and turn right to advance, without a path, parallel to the protection fence. To finish the route, we return to the same place, retracing the path and returning to the dirt track.
The Bermeja Mountain: With this other denomination, this Mountain of Four Doors is also known, whose height is around 317 m. It is a dominating watchtower with broad horizons, which justifies the choice of the aborigines. The vermilion color of the volcanic stone (reddish) together with the composition of this tuff, granular and inconsistent material, allowed the ancient Canarians to excavate in their rudimentary way (peaks made with stones) all the caves and structures that survive after more than 500 years.
The Sanctuary of Four Doors: Such is the importance of this place that in 1972 it was declared a "historical-artistic monument", achieving maximum protection, which among its arguments wielded that "the site is made up of the wide rectangular cave of " Cuatro Puertas”, which has a kind of small square in front of it, which formed the “tagoror”, place of meetings and assemblies of the Canarian indigenous people, the “almogarén”, sanctuary or sacrificial altar that is one of the walls of the rock, presents an original alphabetic engraving based on crescent moons, of hitherto unknown interpretations”.