Page 374 - Lanzarotto Malocello from Italy to the Canary Islands

374 from Italy to the Canary Islands

system designed to prevent the water from scattering into many tiny riv-
ulets.
The “bebederos” were also widespread. These are small terraces on
steep slopes that collected rainwater; they were built with stone and mud
walls perpendicular to the mountain side. They were very similar to the
“gavias”, ditches in flat areas whose oblique walls (coming down from the
mountains) channel rainwater. To retain rainwater, they also built small dry
stone walls called “cadenas”, halfway through the slopes.
It is clear that the water came from specific springs, but these were lo-
cated in places difficult to access, such as the mountains of Ajaches (Femés
spring) and Famara-Guatifay (Gusa, Ovejas, and Palomas springs; Gusa is
so close to the sea as to be almost flooded with the high tide).
The people of the towns of Lanzarote took care of the cleaning period-
ically.
Water was used for internal and external human/animal consumption
and agriculture. “Rofe”, volcanic ash, has been used in cultivation tech-
niques since the Timanfaya eruption of 1736.
In his previously mentioned study Canarie, isole “fortunate” [The
“fortunate” Canary Islands] (Afriche, no. 64, vol. 4, 2004), anthropologist
Attilio Gaudio wrote that the role of women was very important among
the Guanches also as social, economic, and even political advisors. In un-
crowded streets, men could not speak to women unless spoken to, nor stop
them nor look at them.
Marriage was based on the consent of both spouses, and it seems that
a woman’s parents could not force her to marry against her will. Divorce
was admitted since a husband could repudiate his wife; however, she did
not lose any rights nor the possibility of contracting a new marriage, al-
though the children of a dissolved marriage were considered illegitimate.
The maternal instinct was so strong that women would educate their chil-
dren in the most important social rules, such as respect for others, the indi-
vidual properties, the elderly, and women in general. They left their upper
body completely unclothed and covered it only with their long hair, which
they let grow, whereas they covered the lower part of the body with a tight
ankle-length suede skirt. They also could easily wear make-up.
Their main activity was crafting pottery by hand in their homes. They
would place the ceramic mixture on a stone support and work it with the
palm of the hand, first the bottom and then the edges, and overlay cylinders
of mixture; after that, the object was left to dry for several days before