The Heritage Area of the Cabildo of Lanzarote is already executing the actions included in the agreement sealed with the entity Tibicena Arqueología y Patrimonio S.L. for the reactivation of the archaeological zone of the Zonzamas site, a planning that includes - from now to three years - the execution of new soundings, visits, informative campaigns and other interventions aimed at launching an archaeological park that lives up to the historical importance of this enclave.
Ascensión Toledo was this past weekend in the first of the visits that were made to the archaeological site, and shared with twenty people the route that was interpreted this time by Marcos Antonio Moreno, director of excavations. "The guided tours not only allow citizens to know the rich history of the Zonzamas site, but are also a way to involve the community in the protection and recovery of our cultural heritage," said the counselor.
"It is essential that we all understand the importance of preserving our historical legacy, and these activities are a first step towards that goal"; and added: "Because we have to aspire to Zonzamas becoming an archaeological park, and for this we also have the project of the Site Museum and the accesses from the road, among other interventions."
"We are delighted with the response"
The response at the beginning of the routes "has been overwhelming." In just four hours, the free tickets for the two passes scheduled for this Saturday were sold out, October 19, which has led to the creation of a waiting list for future visits. It must be remembered that the groups are limited to a maximum of 25 people to guarantee the safety and preservation of the site.
The island councilor of Heritage has explained that "we are delighted with the response from the citizens. This shows the interest and curiosity that exists to know and value our heritage. We will continue to organize visits, also involving schools so that young people can learn about their history in a direct and meaningful way," she says.
The first guided route interpreted by the director of the excavations himself, Marco A. Moreno, was outstanding, and many others will follow since the citizen demand is overwhelming any forecast. During the tour of the surroundings of the Zonzamas rock or Majo cave, the participants discovered some questions about the aboriginal population: their work, their relationships or their historical evolution in this town; and they learned what the "tegue" is, or the different excavation campaigns that were carried out in the last decades, as well as the importance of the project started in 2015.
They also observed several deep houses, approached the area that archaeologists call "Mickey", and valued the work of the pioneering archaeologist in the recovery of the Zonzamas site, Inés Dug Godoy, among many other curiosities that emerge during the visit.
"Anyone who lives in Lanzarote should know the Zonzamas site since it is the great history book we have on the island. We have here 1,300 years accumulated, of history upon history. Zonzamas is a place where landscape, archeology and history are intertwined in a single point. And the good thing is that, with all the effort that the Cabildo of Lanzarote is making at this time in terms of education, involving the adult population and students, we are going to generate a critical mass of interested people that will make this place become the main place of history and memory of the island," said Marco A. Romero.
With the implementation of these activities, the Cabildo "reaffirms its commitment to education and awareness about the importance of heritage, ensuring that future generations can enjoy and learn about the history that precedes them."
Value of heritage
The contracting that has been carried out by the Heritage Area of the Corporation, has meant an investment of half a million euros. The soundings will continue to draw in detail this complex site, before facing a final stretch in which to integrate into the landscape the future archaeological park of Zonzamas. On the other hand, the actions aimed at the dissemination and education on the archaeological heritage are redoubled, both aimed at schoolchildren of all levels and the adult population, with special schedules on weekends.
In addition, the project promoted by the Institution includes educational talks and the recording of a series of videos that will highlight the discoveries made to date, and will outline the future of the site.
Registrations for visits can be made free of charge on the website of Tibicena, and are announced through the social networks of the Cabildo de Lanzarote and the company.
