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Report on the ‘Campus’ Summer School in

Anthropology and Archaeology

EVA

November 2019

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Overview

The pilot interdisciplinary and interuniversity anthropology and archaeology summer

school (Escuela de Verano de Antropología y Arqueología (EVA)) hosted twelve

students from La Laguna, Gran Canaria and Oxford University who, from the 1st-15th

of August 2019, received training, attended workshops, engaged in talks and

accompanied the work of various local, national and international experts.

The school was jointly organised by the Educere Alliance, the Canarian Assocation

for Social Anthropology ACA and archaeological firm Arenisca: Arqueología y

Patrimonio. Field training was oriented around the Cave of Villaverde project, directed

by Arenisca, which offered the opportunity for a research-led field school.

EVA was advertised by La Laguna University as an extension course offering 3

European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System ECTS points. The course was

offered to Oxford archaeology and anthropology undergraduates, to 3rd and 4th year

archaeology undergraduates from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria University and 3rd and

4th year anthropology undergraduates from La Laguna University. Students

matriculated on-line, via La Laguna’s University portal. La Laguna University offered

insurance to all matriculated students for the duration of the school.

Students were accompanied by two staff members from La Laguna University, the

vice-president and secretary of the Canarian Association for Social Anthropology ACA,

the lecturer Grecy Pérez Amores and the researcher, Silvia Cristina Zelaya Álvarez.

The school received financial support from the Canarian Government and the Town

Hall offered accommodation free of charge. Our speakers donated their time gratis.

We were able to offer the pilot for free, with students covering only their flights and

morning and evening meal. One of the requisites of government funding was the

production of a promotional video, which can be seen on the Educere Alliance

YouTube channel. The field school was also featured on Canarias7 live television and

in the island’s newspaper, Diario de Fuerteventura. The anthropological component is

featured in a documentary film made by Oxford undergraduate, Marissa Gonzalez

Scanlan.

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Research-led fieldwork, activities and timetabling

The field school focused on the Cueva de Villaverde, a volcanic tube of 190 meters,

with 16 meters of prime archaeological interest. The interior includes constructed walls,

semi-circular stone seats (tagaror), animal bone remains (goat, sheep, pig, dog, turtle,

seal and fish), shell beads, ceramics and lithic tools; to date 478 pieces including a

grinding mill and ceramic polishers have been recorded. One radiocarbon-dated hearth

suggests a period of 660 years of (continuous or intermittent) occupation, between 220

AD and 800 AD. Carpological radiocarbon dating also reveals the existence of laurel

forests, wild olive Acebuche and Canarian Pine in the 3rd century in this now arid and

desert landscape.

The anthropological component examined lay experiences of the cave’s first

archaeological campaigns in the 1980’s and incorporated the wider question of

contemporary lay knowledge and experience of caves. This latter component included

dwelling experiences in caves as a refuge, a place to keep livestock, for parties and

feasts, as a ritual space and for recreation and exploration by children and youth. This

familiarity has fostered an intimate knowledge of the ecology of the caves, their fauna,

flora and geology, as well as an excellent appreciation of the affective qualities of these

spaces. Locals observed and evaluated the syncretic properties of the caves, for

example, the darkness, constriction and their active geomorphology, for various human

activities. Such experiences and living memory of the first archaeological campaigns

in the cave in Villaverde, formed the focus of this study.

Rosa Lopez, the director of the project, helped organise the field school’s articulation

of the research project, with Elizabeth Rahman employed for one month to work on the

anthropological component. This allowed for the field school to be attached to both the

archaeological and anthropological aspects and enabled an authentic experience of

research-led training. Our respective foci were enhanced by the input of a number of

other collaborating professionals.

Students had the opportunity to engage with various experts, including Jonathan

Santana Cabrera (bioanthropology), María Elena Gutiérrez Lima (anthropologist),

Jacob Morales (carpologist), Pablo Castellano (zoologist), Grecy Amores

(anthropologist), and Silvia Zelaya (anthropologist), among others.

Students also received explanatory talks by the team about distinct facets of the field

work and its social impact, as well as visiting some key archaeological sites in the

island’s geography.

Key activities included:

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1) semi structured interviews, focus groups, participant-observation, note-

keeping, textual analysis, classification of notes and diary keeping, workshops

on ethics and data protection.

2) Rotational activities, such as manual excavation, sieving of materials, cribbing,

inventory, finds processing, archaeological registration, cataloguing,

photography, topography of stratus and materials and carbon floating.

Place Activity Date Faciliators

Villaverde Visit to the excavation site First Contact with the locality and locals of Villaverde Talk: The Villaverde cave project Talk: The geological surroundings and geological instrumentation, as applied to the cave of Villaverde

01-08-2019

Rosa López Guerrero Elizabeth Rahman Silvia Zelaya Grecy Pérez Amores José Juan Torres de León Sonia Ruiz Cascajar

Villaverde Raíz de Pueblo Cultural Centre

Archaeological excavation Workshop in ethnography: data protection, ethics and informed consent On-site tour: cave geology

02-08-2019

Rosa López Guerrero Elizabeth Rahman Silvia Zelaya Sonia Ruiz Cascajar

Iglesia de Los Mahos & Valle de la Cueva

Maho culture: a tour around the island’s principal sites

03-08-2019

Rosa López Guerrero Elizabeth Rahman Samuel James Cockerill Tarek Suleiman Martín Silvia Zelaya

Villaverde & Raíz de Pueblo Cultural Centre & Casa de los coroneles

Archaeological excavation

Workshop: carrying out ethnographic interviews and a focus group Lecture: Conservation of an archaeological site

05-08-2019

Rosa López Guerrero Samuel James Cockerill Tarek Suleiman Martín Elizabeth Rahman Silvia Zelaya Sonia Argano Ruiz

Villaverde Villaverde surrounds

Archaeological excavation Workshop on walking ethnography, walking up the

06-08-2019

Rosa López Guerrero Samuel James Cockerill Tarek Suleiman Martín Elizabeth Rahman

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Raíz de Pueblo Cultural Centre

Escanfraga mountain Lecture: Bioanthropology: the dead that talk

Silvia Zelaya José Antonio Vera Lima José Vera Jonathan Santana Cabrera

Villaverde North and mid-island locations Riaz del Pueblo Cultural Centre Guest House

Archaeological fieldwork Walking ethnography: the cave of Esquinzo, the corral of assembly, Tindaya mountain and Vallebron. Lecture: Living with water: knowledge and skills in arid climates. Night of Astronomy

07-08-2019

Rosa López Guerrero Samuel James Cockerill Tarek Suleiman Martín Elizabeth Rahman Silvia Zelaya José Antonio Vera Lima Carlos Vera Hernández María Elena Gutiérrez Lima Carlos Vera Hernández Karen Moore

Villaverde Raíz de Pueblo Cultural Centre North and mid-island locations

Archaeological fieldwork Anthropology workshop: -group reflection -walking ethnography from Tinojay to the singing cave -the sheperd’s leap activity Lecture: conversation of the archaeological sites Astronomy night II

08-08-2019

Rosa López Guerrero Samuel James Cockerill Tarek Suleiman Martín Elizabeth Rahman Silvia Zelaya Alby Montserrat José Antonio Vera Lima Sonia Argano Ruiz Carlos Vera

Betancuria archeological musuem Raíz de Pueblo Cultural Centre

Forensic anthropology: the cave under a microscope Workshop: Brain gym, finding the missing options

09-08-2019

Samuel James Cockerill Elena Dora Inés Alessio

Lajares Fighting Grounds

Canarian fighting with Club de lucha canaria agrupación unión norte

10-08-2019

Néstor Rodríguez

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Stick Flighting, with the Asociación cultural de juego del palo canario Maho

Cristian José Cruz Febles

Villaverde Raíz de Guest House

Archaeological fieldwork Transcription, compilation and analysis of notes Documentary film screening on Medicinal Plants, with its maker

12-08-2019

Rosa López Guerrero Samuel James Cockerill Tarek Suleiman Martín Elizabeth Rahman Silvia Zelaya Fayna Brenes Quevedo

Villaverde Raíz de Pueblo Cultural Centre / Villaverde village

Archaeological fieldwork Interviews and/or transcription, compilation and analysis of notes Lecture: Introduction to terrestrial fauna

13-08-2019

Rosa López Guerrero Samuel James Cockerill Tarek Suleiman Martín Elizabeth Rahman Silvia Zelaya Pablo Castellano Alonso

Villaverde Raíz de Pueblo Cultural Centre / Villaverde Village

Archaeological fieldwork Interviews and/or transcription, compilation and analysis of notes Group meeting: close of summer school

14-08-2019

Rosa López Guerrero Elizabeth Rahman Silvia Zelaya Samuel James Cockerill Tarek José Suleiman Martín Elizabeth Rahman Silvia Zelaya Rosa López Guerrero

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Students from the three Universities on the day of their arrival

Thursday, August 1st: Students visited Villaverde cave, meeting the team of

archaeologists and receiving short informal and introductory talks about their work and

the site itself. Rosa López, the Director of the archaeological Project, gave a guided

tour of the cave, explaining the circumstances of the first archaeological campaigns in

the 1980’s and why the project was revived. Students opting for the archaeological

route stayed on to carry out excavation work, digging, cribbing and screening the

sediments in area 3 using a sifter. Students were familiarized with the use of the grid.

Anthropology students acquainted themselves with the locality, casually conversing

with local shop keepers and in cafes. We regrouped for a talk on workplace safety and

risk prevention.

Rosa López giving a guided talk of Villaverde Cave

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Actions in Anthropology

Friday, August 2nd: Elizabeth Rahman and Silvia Zelaya held a workshop on the key

issues in anthropological fieldwork, including data protection, fieldwork ethics, note-

keeping and diary making. We decided to use OneNote to create a common archive

of fieldnotes, while keeping field diaries personal. We went over key concepts of the

research and began to prepare a template for interviews

Visit to Villaverde Cave

Workshop in Anthropological Methods

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Monday, August 5th: Interviews with key informants were conducted in pairs, using a

set of questions prepared by the students from Elizabeth’s base question set. One

student took charge of the interview itself, while the other took notes and interjected

where appropriate. Prior to conducting the interview, students read the informed

consent forms and verbally explained the project, and these were signed by

participants upon completing the interviews. The interviews were conducted at the

Casa de los Corronelles, as this building was equipped to offer interviewees privacy.

The second phase consisted of a focus group, with half the students participating and

the other half taking notes. This process was audio-visually recorded.

Interview techniques

Anthropologists and students conducting a focal group

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Tuesday, August 6: the morning began with a visit by Canary 7 television, with all

students on the excavation site conducting either ethnographic observation of

archaeological work or excavation itself. Following this, led by a knowledgeable local

and employee of the Cabildo (dept. of environment) and a married couple local to

Villaverde, we engaged in walking ethnography, climbing up Escanfraga mountain

which is directly behind the cave. We used the traditional goat herding path, gaining

access to upper agricultural zones as well the traditional limestone kilns. Along the

way, our guides explained the agricultural and pastoral history of the mountain, as well

as the morphology of the environment, and important edible moss and other flora was

pointed out.

Wednesday, August 7: Engaging in ‘ethnography on foot’, we visited the Cave of

Esquinzo (Bailadero de las Brujas) and The Corral of Assembly (Tindaya), a place of

customary celestial observation, located just behind Tindaya mountain. The cave had

been used by the military, been camped in my local adolescents, used to keep herds,

for contemporary ‘new age’ rituals and has various legends attached. Accompanied

by a member of the local ethnoastronomical group and the Cabildo employee, we also

visited the Vallebrón springs, which is sheltered by minor cavernous enclaves. There,

we learned about their use in the living memory of the island’s occupation by coronels.

Caves, participant-observation

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Caves, participant-observation

Walking Ethnography with knowledgeable locals

Thursday, August 8: A walking ethnography tour of the Tinojay and the Singing Cave

was given by the Cabildo employee. We were accompanied by a practitioner of the

Shepherds Leap. The Cave’s uses, including as a Shepard’s shelter, a place of

storage and a nesting area, were pointed out and detailed by our guides. The walk

continued to a small stone wall, where one could access engravings of battleships.

With the ships engraved on a rock where the sea’s horizon was in plain sight, it was

explained that these were possibly boats that the Mahos had glimpsed. We all

practiced the Shepard’s Leap and observed a shepherd's souk, that is, a semicircular

stone structure which protect herds from the north wind.

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Tinojay – walking ethnography

Monday, August 12: We divided into groups, with two students undertaking the

walking ethnography in the lava fields with a local knowledgeable of that area, while

others focused on transcribing their notes, and a final pair conducted a set of semi-

structured interviews with participants in the excavation campaign.

Tuesday August 13: We divided our work into three tasks: interviewing, participant-

observation of excavation work, and transcription and up-dating of notes onto the

OneNote program.

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Wednesday, August 14: We divided our tasks into interviewing, participant-

observation of excavation work and transcription and up-dating of notes onto the

OneNote program. We finished by pooling our experiences and debating key themes.

Thusday, August 15: Goodbyes.

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The Shepard’s Leap: participant-experience

Taking Field notes

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Actions in Archaeology

Friday, august 2nd: On site we carried out excavation work, that is, digging, cribbing

and screening the sediments in area 3 using a sifter in rotational groups. This involved

hand-brushing and selecting materials by sight. Students were supervised by La

Laguna’s doctoral student, Samuel Cockerill. From 11:30 to 14:00 the cleaning of the

grids 1C and 2C began. The excavation area was complicated by a pipe traversing

the centre of the plot. Under the supervision of Tarek Suleiman, a handful of students

began surveying, learning how to take reference points, to consider dimensions and

contour points. Finally, the day’s finds were classified.

Archaeological fieldwork

Monday, August 5: Students continued their excavation tasks, including daily cleaning of the respective zones, the screening of the buckets with the collected sediments and the distinction of the stratigraphic elements. They also received training on labelling and filling cards, and appropriate documentation.

Tuesday, August 6: Canarian TV visited the site to publicize the importance of the

Villaverde Cave site for the study. The cleaning of grid 1A of survey 4 begins and, at

the end of the day, a summary of the work done in the excavation diary and a sketch

of the respective grid were made, indicating the maximum and minimum levels (with

the use of the level), surface materials, as well as which stratigraphic areas differed.

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EVA students on the excavation site

Cribbing

Wednesday, August 7: Researcher and archaeologist Tarek instructs students on

the use of the station in order to establish the reference points, the dimensions and

the contour points of each of the surveys. This day begins with a small survey in grid

3C, with the aim of verifying the depth of archaeological and geological interest,

proceeding to differentiate the different layers documented in profile drawings and to

photograph said survey. Simultaneously, work continues on grid 1A, as well as the

registration of materials, differentiating materials by type, labelling, bagging, etc.

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tools

Thursday, August 8: The previous tasks (photography, survey delimitation, sketches,

dimensions) begin before proceeding with the excavation of probe 5 and in grid 1A,

where coal remains were documented. Drawings of the profiles are made and

photographed to later measure the dimensions of both surveys and fill in the

stratigraphic tabs. Classification of materials collected from the sieve in their

respective bags is continued. Anthropology students join the work team and are taught

the process of identifying materials in the sieve and their subsequent registration with

bags and labels.

Identification of materials

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Monday, August 12: The dimensions of the stratigraphic unit 1 of survey 5 were

scanned and the survey profiled and cleaned, after which we identified a large surface

of rock in the west sector while in the east and central sectors clay continued to

emerge. Finally, we decided to carry out a mini survey, whose dimensions were

0'64x0'95. A further survey 7 was prosed and we began cleaning this area. The

screening and recording of the materials from all surveys was carried out in shifts, and

two new anthropology partners were taught how to identify materials in the sieve and

record the finds (making labels and the proper use of bags to store artefacts).

Work areas around the main site

Tuesday, August 13: Work began on grid 1A of survey 6, and then proceeded to go

down to stratigraphic unit (EU) 1 in which no archaeological materials were found in

abundance. The group working on survey 7 excavated the EU 1 layer 2 and found the

EU 2 (layer of cinders), after which the dimensions and the outline of the unit were

taken and documented (drawing, photography). The students took the dimensions of

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the mini survey 5 and proceeded to excavate, with no significant archaeological

remains found. They followed the work of screening and registration with two new

anthropology partners, who were showed how these tasks were performed.

Excavation inside the cave

Wednesday, August 14: We completed the EU 1 of zone 6, few archaeological

materials including ceramic remains and minor lithic material were in this stratigraphic

unit. Subsequently, they conducted a small survey, measuring 0'63x0'40 cm, in grid

1A of probe 6 and began cleaning both the profile and the base to better observe the

stratigraphic sequence of the probes (A4 and A5). These areas inside the cave were

originally excavated in 1979 and 1988, in which an abundance of archaeological

material was found. The excavation of survey 5 concluded and was documented

(photography, sketches, stratigraphic records). Finally, we sieved in zone 7, carrying

out the work of screening the buckets that were taken from the different excavated

areas.

Excavation

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Excavation around the cave’s entrance

Lectures, talks, workshops and tours for archaeology and

anthropology students

Thursday, August 1st: The students attended a talk about occupational hazards in

the Cave of Villaverde. In the afternoon there was an introductory lecture on 'The

project of the cave' with Rosa López and José Juan Torres de León in the cultural

centre. José Juan explained the importance of digitalization and communication when

undertaking a project such as La Cueva de Villaverde, as a means to better engage

the general public. This was followed by a talk about the geology of the area and the

specific instrumentation applied to the cave of Villaverde with Sonia Ruiz Cascajar.

Public dissemination – the view from the road

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Talk on occupational hazards and risk prevention

Friday, August 2nd: The students attended the second part of Sonia Ruiz Cascajar's

talk about the geological environment and geological instrumentation applied to the

Villaverde cave.

Eva students with the geologist Sonia Ruiz.

Saturday, August 3rd: An archaeological visit was made to the centre of the island,

where there are number of relatively unknown archaeological sites. First, the ‘vinculo’

was visited, a very peculiar site due to its rectangular arrangement and the semi-

circular enclosure encompassed by the complex. Traversing an extended stretch of

lava fields using the specially adapted path of the Mahos, we visited a site known as

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the Church of the Majos that is comprised of a fortified enclosure in which a complex

of caves can be found. The last site visited was the Valley of the Cave, which includes

rock engravings and the remains of an extended settlement preserved in excellent

condition.

Monday, August 5th: Sonia Argano Ruiz conducted an on-site workshop on the

restoration of the cave of Villaverde.

Tuesday, August 6th: We attended a bioanthropology lecture held at the Raiz del

Pueblo’s Cultural Association, entitled "the dead that speak, archaeologists that

listen". It was promoted by an archaeologist and researcher at the University of

Durham, whose main objective was to introduce students as to how human remains

provide insights into the lives and values of aboriginal societies.

A tour of the key archaeological sites: the vinculo

Bioanthropology with Jonathan Santana

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Wednesday, August 7th: We attended the lecture ‘Living with water: skills and

knowledge from the arid territories’ by the native anthropologist María Elena Gutiérrez

Lima. The talk described the environmental ethics surrounding the use and

management of water in scarce landscapes.

Living with Water wtih María Elena Gutiérrez Lima

Friday, August 9: We enjoyed an exclusive visit to the Insular Archaeological

Museum, located in Betancuria, where Samuel Cockerill and Elena Sánchez led a

workshop on the bio-anthropological and dental aspects of the two individuals found

in the Cave of Villaverde during the previous archaeological interventions. After the

explanation, a guided tour of the museum was carried out by the curator, Isidoro

Hernández. In the afternoon, Dora Ines Alessio led the workshop ‘Train your brain and

find all the options you are missing’, which encouraged students to experiment with

right and left brain perception and corporeal movement.

Workshop: train your brain

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Saturday, August 10th: Hosted in the Lajares fighting grounds, we enjoyed two key

traditional sports: Canarian wrestling and stick flighting. In the afternoon, we attended

a conference on the carpology of caves from an archaeological and anthropological

perspective, led by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) researcher

Jacob Morales.

Workshop: canarian stick fighting

Monday, August 12th: botanist Faina Bleyes visited the guest house to talk about

folk medicine used by the Majorera population, with a special focus on women’s plants

and gender relations. Faina showed her documentary film on the subject.

Tuesday, August 14th: we attended the Pablo Castellano lecture, a specialist in

archaeozoology.

Wednesday, August 15th: We held a team meeting to pool our knowledge and say

our goodbyes.

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Saying goodbye

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Organisational logistics

The school was publicised by word of mouth. Elizabeth gave a talk entitled ‘the

anthropology of education and the education of anthropology’ at an archaeology and

anthropology symposium in May 2019, with students seeking further information from

colleagues at La Laguna and through the Association of Canarian Anthropology ACA.

In Las Palmas, the school was promoted by Cajal and Ramon fellow, Jacob Morales.

Students matriculated using La Laguna’s portal. Elizabeth matriculated Oxford student

Marissa Gonzalez Scanlan. Students received an email with a welcome letter and

information about the school, including information on amenities, accommodation,

closest laundrette as well as essential notes on the cave project, data protection,

ethics, the code of conduct and recommended readings.

In close conjunction with the Canarian Association of Anthropology ACA, students

organised and paid for their own flights, arranging to arrive on July 31st. Students were

met and collected at the airport. The decision was made to rent two cars and these

were collected at the airport. Car rental was deemed necessary for several reasons,

1) the coordinators could not accommodate all the students in their own cars; 2) the

student guest house was in a remote location; 3) fieldwork required daily travel.

Canarian colleagues evaluated the risk of renting the cars and assumed the

responsibility. Two 4th year students, from La Laguna and Gran Canaria respectively,

with more than 2-years’ experience driving on the islands acted as the second drivers.

Students were given a talk about the use of cars, which was restricted to travel to and

from the excavation site, meeting points, routes for excursions, the cultural centre, the

supermarket and laundrette. Car use was subject to prior approval by the organising

team and the students were accompanied (in the car or in convoy) by a La Laguna

staff member. The cars were not used in the evening and the students proved to be

highly responsible. Oxford student Marissa was exclusively chauffeured by Elizabeth.

Students were hosted in dorms in the self-catering guest house, El Cohombrillo where

they stayed with staff member Silvia Zelyala. The guest house is owned by the local

council and is located just a short drive away from supermarkets, walking trails and

the excavation site. It offered the nearest possible accommodation, and provided free

of charge, the only viable option for housing. Due to a double booking, the town hall

asked us to find alternative accommodation for four nights, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. This

last-minute change proved challenging during high season. We finally secured the

‘fresa hostel’, located in Corralejo and within walking distance from all amenities, and

the town hall reimbursed the costs we incurred. The guest house itself was a little run

down and we experienced water cuts and gas shortages. While these issues were

resolved within 24 hours, this was an inconvenience.

Students had received prior information on the risks and hazards of fieldwork. They

were instructed to bring hats, sunscreen, walking boot and torches; warned of heat

stroke and heat exhaustion and told about cave excursions. A handful of students

entered caves, at their own risk. A protocol was established to safeguard students

entering caves and on all occasions, we were accompanied by knowledgeable locals.

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Students bought and prepared their own breakfasts and dinners. Three-course

lunches were provided by ‘El Horno’ restaurant, adjacent to the excavation site, that

offered an affordable menu.

El colombrillo guest house

On the final day, students were chauffeured by the team or drove in convoy to the

airport.

Budget

The following is a breakdown of costs granted by the Canarian government and administered

by the Association of Canarian Anthropology ACA.

Item Justification Cost

Staff accompanying students

from the Canarian Association

for Anthropology ACA/La

Laguna University

Training and accompaniment

by ACA

1100 €

Return flight of staff members

(Tenerife-Fuerteventura)

accompaniment by ACA At staff’s cost

Return flights of students Transport to field school At student cost

Rental cars Transporting students to field

sites

(paylesscar.com)

2 wks x2 cars + 1 wk, 1 car

560 + 280€= 840€

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Petrol Car transport €60/wk/car

2 wks x 2 cars + 1 wk, 1 car

360€

Accommodation Accommodation of students

and staff

Granted by the City Council.

Maintenance (food) Menú in El horno restaurant

€13€ x day x pp

13 pp x 2wks + 6 pp x 2 wks:

3458€

Production of a promotional

video

Dissemination €280

TOTAL BEFORE TAX 6038€

+ 6,5 %IGIC +392,47

TOTAL 6430,47€

The field school initiative gained an Oxford University TDEP AWARD. £861 of the

award has been spent to:

• Develop methods, including ethics, data management and risk assessments

• Preparation and travel to La Laguna to coordinate the 2019 field school

General Evaluation

A) EVALUATION REPORT COMPILED FROM STUDENT QUESTIONAIRES

On the penultimate day of EVA, we administered a questionnaire to evaluate student

experiences and their levels of course satisfaction. Student responses are randomly

compiled in the report below.

General evaluation of EVA

1. Over the course of EVA, we have enjoyed a range of different training talks

and activities. How would you rate the general programming of the Summer

School? Comment on the organized activities.

“All the activities included were very interesting and informative - it helped me to have

a holistic perspective of the project”; "The talks have often been intense and

numerous….I was tired"; “The programming in general has been very good, although

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I must highlight the lack of organization in some of the activities carried out”; “The

contents of the talks have been very interesting, they have opened me up to an

interdisciplinary perspective.”

2. A fundamental element of EVA is that the students of Anthropology and

Archaeology, from different universities, undertake continuous and intensive

field work. Briefly comment and state how this might be improved.

"It is very important"; "It would be great if transdisciplinarity was promoted in the

classroom too"; “My archaeological practice was good. I would have liked to live more

of the anthropological experience”; “It was effectively continuous and intensive, but the

latter did not allow time to reflect - I think the schedule should be less saturated”; "I

really liked being able to apply myself in the field, especially being able to put the

methodology into practice, but I felt that the first days were too concentrated and the

last ones somewhat disperse."

3. Do you think your needs have been adequately covered during your stay?

Your lunch, work and living spaces, etc.? What aspect would improve?

"In general the stay has been well provisioned although ... on occasion there have

been problems living together"; “Accommodation… structural problems of the place

itself [water and gas]”; "Living in such an isolated place limited our leisure opportunities

... there are also important things missing in the accommodation like a washing

machine, we lacked gas and water on occasion and did not have wifi."

4. The key objective of EVA is to implement interdisciplinary teaching, where

research is a central element, and to provide opportunities for practical and

holistic learning in real life professional contexts. Do you believe that this

objective was achieved?

“An enriching experience” “I have been able to contemplate interdisciplinarity, but…

there were had activities where we were separated”; “In my opinion, apart from a few

specific days, each disciplinary group has worked alone, and information has not been

exchanged. Putting two disciplines does not mean that it is interdisciplinary”

5. After these weeks of living and learning together, how would you rate your

experience at the Summer School? What aspects would you improve?

"I learned a lot and found it enjoyable"; “Good companionship, easy to adapt and lots

of variety. I would improve by having more team meetings, so we can understand one

another better ”; "The organization of activities should be better"; “It really has been a

great experience, it has been fun.”

Evaluation of talks and activities

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1. Placement: a walking tour of the area and surroundings

“This day we set some goals that were not totally achieved”

2. Presentation: The Cave project

"Quite interesting"; “Very informative and clear - a good introduction to school”

3. Workshop on data classification, data protection, risk prevention and ethics

“A good talk to introduce us to ethnographic practice. It was very interesting to

review the classic texts”; “this was a very instructive workshop on data protection, an

aspect in which I was totally ignorant”

4. Lecture: Geology

“it was very interesting to learn about the cave from the perspective of another

discipline, although it was a challenge to assimilate all the information”

5. Lecture: the conservation of patrimony

“Very cool, honest and informative. It is a side of heritage work that I had not heard

before”

6. Maho Culture, and a visit to key archaeological sites

“Very instructive and very interesting”

7. Excavation/ethnographic fieldwork

“good”; “a very good experience to learn what fieldwork entails. We got to know and

understand a wide range of people in many different circumstances”

8. Lecture: Bioanthropology

“fascinating, with good global examples”

9. Lecture: Living with water

“A very alternative anthropological take, and very interesting. It was also extremely

relevant to the context to which we are working ”,“this was the lecture that most

impacted me, both personally and professionally. Her ability to communicate her

project on water ethics in Fuerteventura, her capacity for such thorough analysis… ”

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10. Workshop: astronomy and observation

"amazing"; “The presentation was evidently laboriously prepared - the graphics and

the quantity and quality of information were extremely good. Also very well explained”

11. Lecture: geology

“an enriching experience”

12. Forensic anthropology: the cave’s human remains (musuem)

“fascinating – a lot of information about the human skeleton”

13. Workship on brain gym

“curious and very interactive”; “it was really enjoyable to do something so creative…”

14. Workshop on Canarian wrestling

“it was really enjoyable to physically participate in traditional sports. It also helped us

establish relations of trust with our fellow students”

15. Workshop on Canarian Stick Fighting

“it helped me understand how the Maho’s would have defended themselves in the

past”

16. Workshop on medicinal plants

“a very beautiful presentation”; this provided me with a divergent set of perspectives

about what Fuerteventura was like in the past - especially the place of women and the

unexpected abundance of plants”

17. Lecture: introduction to terrestrial fauna

“interesting”; “it helped me understand the environmental context of the Mahos”;

“exciting”

18. Other observations

“they should improve the infrastructure of the guest house”; “gender should figure

more in the programme”; “group communication should be improved so that we can

all work together on an even ground”

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B) EVALUATON BY THE COORIDNATORS (INCLUDNG OBSERVATIONS ON

STUDENT RESPONSES)

The organizing team is extremely satisfied with the pilot experience of EVA. We

dynamically rescheduled our activities according to emerging needs and responded in

a timely manner to minor changes in the itineraries of our collaborators, changes that

were chiefly due to health problems. Overall, we realised that we had over scheduled

activities, so that both our student body and ourselves were exhausted by the intensive

nature of the school.

One of the main drawbacks to our programme was on-island transport. The need for

student mobility, especially to rural areas where students carried out their fieldwork

and the relatively remote location of the hostel itself, meant transport was essential.

Given the lack of public transport, car rental appeared to be the only economically

viable alternative. This raised a number of concerns and future schools aim to find a

more suitable alternative.

The mix up with accommodation incurred a major financial cost to the project which

was assumed by the firm Arensica, to be reimbursed by the Town Hall. A major

drawback was the fact that government funding was all retroactively disbursed and

thus the organizers themselves, Elizabeth, Rosa, Grecy and Silvia, made the initial

payments for petrol, food, the restaurant menu, etc.

The budget we requested was overly in favour of the students and we found we were

unable to compensate our own costs or offer honorariums to our speakers. For future

schools, we anticipate seeking funding from La Laguna University and/or charging

students tuition to cover some of these initial costs.

The evaluation of the experience has led the organising team to identify the following

issues to be addressed in future schools:

1. Allow for more 'downtime' when scheduling

2. Promote more of an interdisciplinary environment and provide more

opportunities for interdisciplinary dialogue

3. Ensure back up measures are in place in case of collaborator illness

4. Secure alternative means of transport (coaches)

5. Explore alternative accommodation offers should the water and infrastructure

issues in Lajares guesthouse remain unresolved

6. Cover the expenses of and offer honorarium to speakers and facilitators

7. Conduct the workshops linked to traditional sports such as Canarian wrestling

and the stick fighting at the beginning of the programme to promote convivial

living experiences and to build trust early on in school

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8. Devote more time to reflection and allow students to take more autonomous

action in ethnographic field work

9. Better streamline student arrivals and departures

Conclusions and future actions

The organizing team look forward to EVA II and EVA III on the island of Fuerteventura,

which has proved to be a site ripe with opportunity for anthropological and

archaeological research evincing a contemporary cultural archive. The school

generated a large amount of interest among the student body of La Laguna University

and with our numbers restricted to 12 for the pilot, a long waiting list.

We have provisional dates that include Easter and the summer of 2020 and we will

continue to collaborate with local and international professionals, as well as with the

local community, including the continuation of our already long and fruitful relationship

with the cultural association, Raíz del Pueblo.

The insular government (Cabildo) has a vested interest in continuing field schools on

the island. In particular, the intention is to articulate the schools with its 22 museums

and centres for interpretation. To this end, the Cabildo is in the process of drafting a

convention with the University of Oxford/the Social Enterprise spin-out, to help sustain

the school, whilst reviving the museums in the process.

Pre-View of EVA II

Museum Anthropology, tutors Elizabeth Rahman, Alejandro Reig and Sam

Cockrill

The Archaeological Museum of Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain

Monday-Sunday, 09:00-14:00, 06/04/2020-12/04/2020 (total 35contact hours)

Hilary Vacation

The newly constructed Archaeological Museum of Betancuria is in the process of

preparing to open to the public. The museum holds a range of ceramics, animal bones,

human remains, lithic tools and works of stonemasonry, as well as more contemporary

reflections on gender in Maho society and foregrounding socio-environmental issues,

such as the abundance of microplastics on the island’s beaches. Together with the

museum’s director and curator, we have identified a series of tasks and activities that

will provide training opportunities for the students, whilst also contributing to the life of

the museum itself. Tasks in the museum include identifying, measuring, labelling,

classifying and cataloguing the vast selection of animal bones and ceramics.

Interpretative work, with a forensic anthropologist, will include examining and

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comparing human remains, identifying sex, age at death, race, height, pathologies and

activity stress and antemortem, perimortem and postmortem trauma. Lesions and

evidence of activity stresses will be used to help design a series of questions to relate

these to contemporary practitioners of customary livelihoods, including pastoralists

and potters, so as to inform the work of ethnographers. An additional step would be to

elicit a reflection about the value of those objects of material culture, the history of

which they are helping to reconstruct, and the current perceptions of these

environments by local inhabitants and visitors. This would allow the students to explore

how the friction between these past and present relationships with the landscape can

be translated into actual museological scenarios with the potential to honour the past,

present and future environment of Fuerteventura. Taking all these different levels of

engagement and reflection together, the students will also be invited to work on other

tasks of interpretation and display in order to jointly develop and plan new features for

exhibition. Ethnographic work includes participant-observation, open and semi-

structured interviews with English tourists to better understand their experience and

expectations of museums and local heritage. Data management and ethics are

integrated into the course.