Fuerteventura May Also Have Hosted Roman Settlements

Archaeological Excavations of Lobos I Could Be Moved to the Corralejo Coast

The Cabildo of Fuerteventura and the autonomous body of Museums and Centers of the Cabildo of Tenerife are concluding the tenth excavation campaign on the Islote de Lobos (La Oliva), one of the most significant archaeological projects in the Canary Islands.

The campaign, carried out over three weeks under a joint agreement between the two institutions, involved a multidisciplinary team of researchers, archaeologists and specialists from various fields, as well as collaborators and friends of the archaeological museums of Fuerteventura and Tenerife.

During his visit to the site, the Councillor for Historical Heritage, Rayco León, said:

“This campaign continues to provide information about the history of the Canary Islands, reshaping our entire past.”

He added:

“We will keep investing in it so we can keep discovering and complete the puzzle.”

The main goal of this tenth campaign was to delimit and define the extent of the Lobos I site, which consists of a Roman purple‑dye workshop. Work also focused on a furnace located in the northern part of the site, where, as in previous excavations, materials related to the purple‑dye production process were recorded, along with domestic artifacts such as pottery, tableware and food‑related remains.

The excavation is directed by Isidoro Hernández, director of the Archaeological Museum of Fuerteventura, Mercedes del Arco, archaeology technician and conservator at the Archaeological Museum of Tenerife, and Carmen del Arco, professor of Prehistory.

Researchers are now considering moving the excavations to a possible eleventh campaign on the northern coast of Fuerteventura, because surveys carried out on the beaches of Corralejo indicate the possible presence of Romanized settlements in that area.

Carmen del Arco, researcher at the Archaeological Museum of Tenerife, highlighted:

“It is a unique space because it is a Getic purple‑dye factory and because it allows us to understand several aspects of the economic exploitation of the Canary Sea resources in antiquity.”

The campaign has been authorized by the General Directorate of Culture and Cultural Heritage of the Canary Islands. It is also supported BINTER Canarias, which funds the transport of equipment and materials.