On Wednesday, September 23rd, at 7:00 PM, the Archaeological Museum of Fuerteventura will host an emotional tribute to Dolores Sánchez Velázquez, a key figure in the island's archaeological research. The event, organized by the Cabildo's Department of Cultural Heritage, will include a round table discussion on the Villaverde Cave and the official reception of documentation from its early excavations.
The valuable documentation, previously held by the family of Dolores Sánchez Velázquez, will be handed over to the Cabildo of Fuerteventura following her passing. This act will formalize the incorporation of these documentary funds into the island institution's heritage, ensuring their future conservation and study.
“"This event allows us to recognize the career of a pioneering woman in Fuerteventura's archaeology and, at the same time, recover fundamental documentation for continued research and knowledge of our heritage. We are very grateful to the family for their generosity and for making it possible for this legacy to be preserved and available for future investigations. Preserving this legacy also means preserving the island's history."
The round table will analyze Dolores Sánchez's contribution to Fuerteventura's archaeology, the initial excavation campaigns at the Villaverde Cave, their results, and their importance for archaeological research. It will also present subsequent investigations at the site since 2018 and the archaeological materials that are now part of the Archaeological Museum's collection.
Participants in the event will include Isidoro Hernández Sánchez, director of the Archaeological Museum of Fuerteventura; Art Historian and archaeologist Teresa Gómez Espinosa; archaeologist Ángel Sánchez Hortelano; archaeologist Rosa López Guerrero; and Antigua Sánchez Velázquez, representing the family.
Dolores Sánchez Velázquez, born in La Antigua in 1934, graduated in Geography and History with a specialization in Archaeology from the Complutense University of Madrid. She developed a significant part of her career at the Ministry of Culture, while maintaining her connection with archaeological research in Fuerteventura. Alongside Professor Francisca Hernández, she co-directed the first systematic excavations of the Villaverde Cave between 1979 and 1983, introducing new methodologies and the island's first radiocarbon dating.
The Archaeological Museum of Fuerteventura currently houses the materials recovered from those campaigns, which include 210 boxes and 3,004 bags of archaeological materials.
