Archaeologist Juan Francisco Navarro Mederos is set to present a lecture titled 'The archaeologist Luis Diego Cuscoy and his portrait of the Canaries (1934-1980)' on 3 November 2026 at 19:00 in the Plenary Hall of the Cabildo of La Gomera, located in San Sebastián.
The conference will delve into the various aspects of Cuscoy's work and his perspective on the society, culture, and landscape of the Canary Islands. Luis Diego Cuscoy (1907-1987) is regarded as one of the most prominent figures in Canarian archaeology, with a career that also encompassed poetry, education theory, journalism, ethnography, anthropology, and photography. His diverse interests made him a keen observer of the cultural life of Tenerife and the broader Canary Islands during a period of significant transformation.
Navarro's lecture will highlight Cuscoy's portrayal of the islands through his studies, journalistic articles, and photographs. Key topics of Cuscoy's interest included territorial changes linked to economic models, the status of rural communities and children, and traditional activities facing extinction, such as herding and pottery.
As an archaeologist, Cuscoy focused much of his research on the Guanches of Tenerife, while also conducting work in La Palma and El Hierro, and to a lesser extent in La Gomera, with some projects in Lanzarote.
Juan Francisco Navarro Mederos is a retired professor from the University of La Laguna and has conducted extensive research across the Canary Islands, particularly in La Gomera, covering topics such as territorial archaeology, rock art, sacrificial altars, cultural sequences, contact archaeology, and the history of archaeology and heritage. His work also includes the documentation and promotion of cultural heritage.
Together with Miguel Ángel Clavijo Redondo and other collaborators, Navarro has studied and disseminated Cuscoy's work through the classification and publication of his writings, recordings, and photographs. Among these efforts is the 2019 publication 'Archaeology of the gaze: the photographic work of Luis Diego Cuscoy'. Navarro also catalogued Cuscoy's photographic archive and co-curated an exhibition of the same name with Mayte Enríquez.
