Modelos de ocupación en áreas de montaña: la isla de Gran Canaria (1478-1865)

Abstract

This paper outlines the conclusions of a study, developed in a recent thesis, about the historical patterns of occupation in Gran Canaria (Canary Islands) from the late fifteenth to the second half of the nineteenth centuries. The process of occupation of Gran Canaria follows the four-period scheme commonly used in the study of the Canary Islands: Prehistoric (before 15th century), Colonial (late 15th and 16th centuries), Old Regimen (17th and 18th centuries) and free-port period (19th century). This paper analyze the patterns of occupation in island, mountain areas from a diachronic and biogeographic perspective. The patterns of occupation and the process of colonization are seen as part of an environment which offers varied and complementary resources. The study of the Canarian neolithic and the Modern European Societies illustrate this influence of the environment.