Mummy of San Andrés
The Mummy of San Andrés is a human mummy belonging to the Guanche culture (ancient inhabitants of the Canary Islands, Spain).
One of the best preserved Guanche mummies, for this is one of the few Guanche mummies to have a proper name: Mummy of San Andrés, which refers to the place where he was discovered, in a manner similar to what happens with the mummies of the swamps of northern Europe: Lindow Man, Grauballe Man and Tollund Man, among others.
It is a male of about 25 to 30 years partially covered with goatskin with 6 strips that surround it. The mummy was found in a cave in a ravine outside the village of San Andrés. The area of the island of Tenerife where the mummy was found, the Anaga massif, is rich in archaeological finds. It is thought that might be a Mencey (aboriginal king) or a leading figure in Guanche society of the time.
No one knows with certainty the exact year of its discovery, only that the mummy was exhibited at the Museo Municipal of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, until, in 1958, became part of the collections of the Museum of Nature and Man of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where it currently is. It is considered the best Guanche mummy preserved in the museum, and the most representative.
Data on the mummy
- Gender: male.
- Age: 25 to 30 years or so.
- Culture: Guanche.
- Type of mummification: mummy ceremonial.
- Type of burial: burial cave.
- Location: Anaga (Tenerife).
- Shown at: The Museum of Nature and Man (Santa Cruz de Tenerife), along with other Guanche mummies preserved.
- Interesting facts: Found on a wooden board (now this plate not displayed to the public).