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| Museum of Nature and Man | |
|---|---|
| Name | Museum of Nature and Man |
| Native name | Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre |
| Established | 1958 |
| Location | Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain |
| Type | Natural history museum, Archaeological museum |
Museum of Nature and Man is a multidisciplinary institution in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife, dedicated to natural history, archaeology, ethnography, and conservation. The museum serves as a repository for collections ranging from Canary Islands geology and flora to Guanche archaeology and mummified remains, and functions as a regional center for research, exhibitions, and public outreach. It collaborates with national and international institutions on biodiversity inventories, anthropological studies, and heritage preservation.
The museum’s origins trace to collections assembled during the 19th and 20th centuries associated with Museo Municipal de Ciencias Naturales de Tenerife, Instituto de Estudios Canarios, Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural, Sociedad Española de Historia Natural (Islas Canarias), and private collectors such as Telesforo Bravo and Tomás Roca y Carballo. Early donors included figures connected to Casa de Colón, Archivo Histórico Provincial de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and the Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País de Tenerife. Institutional development accelerated under regional policies tied to the creation of the Junta de Canarias and the autonomy statutes influenced by the Spanish Constitution of 1978 and the Statute of Autonomy of the Canary Islands. The museum expanded collections through archaeological campaigns linked to University of La Laguna, collaborations with the Museo Arqueológico Nacional (Spain), exchanges with the British Museum, and fieldwork supported by the Consejería de Cultura del Gobierno de Canarias. Significant excavations with international teams involved partners such as Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Museo Arqueológico de Cádiz, Consejería de Medio Ambiente de Tenerife, and researchers associated with Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas projects. Conservation efforts have responded to UNESCO frameworks surrounding World Heritage Convention guidelines and European initiatives like Horizon 2020 collaborations.
The museum occupies a 19th-century building adapted from structures comparable to restored sites such as Casa de los Balcones and linked in urban context to landmarks like Plaza de España (Santa Cruz de Tenerife), Auditorio de Tenerife, and Iglesia de la Concepción (Santa Cruz de Tenerife). Renovation projects involved firms familiar with heritage interventions akin to work at Alhambra, Prado Museum, and Museo del Prado restorations, and conformed to Spanish heritage protection under Patrimonio Histórico Español statutes and norms of the Dirección General de Bellas Artes. Facilities include climate-controlled galleries, osteological laboratories paralleling those at Natural History Museum, London, secure storage stacks similar to systems at the Smithsonian Institution, and conservation studios equipped for mummified human remains comparable to treatments at Museo Egipcio de El Cairo. Onsite amenities accommodate visiting scholars, press events, and temporary exhibitions modeled after touring shows hosted by institutions like Museo Nacional de Antropología (Madrid), Musée de l'Homme, and American Museum of Natural History.
Collections encompass Canary Islands geology and petrology with specimens analogous to those displayed at Geological Museum, London, paleontological materials parallel to collections at Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Spain), endemic flora and fauna comparable to holdings at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and ethnographic artifacts relating to Guanche culture. Archaeological holdings feature mummified human remains, funerary objects, and rock art artifacts studied alongside materials from Cueva del Viento, Punta Mujeres, La Fortaleza (Tenerife), and comparative assemblages from Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. Biological collections include entomological, malacological, and ornithological series analogous to collections at Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin and Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris. Exhibits interpret volcanic processes using parallels to Mount Teide research, botanical displays with specimens comparable to La Orotava Botanic Garden, and marine biodiversity linked to studies from Instituto Español de Oceanografía and Charles Darwin Foundation research in Macaronesia. Temporary exhibitions have been organized with loans from British Museum, Museo Arqueológico Nacional (Spain), Museo Nacional de Antropología (Madrid), Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, and international partners across Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
Research programs address Macaronesian biogeography, volcanic geomorphology, and pre-Hispanic anthropology through collaborations with University of La Laguna, Universidad de La Palmas de Gran Canaria, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of Barcelona, CSIC institutes including Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología, and international networks such as the International Council of Museums (ICOM). Conservation projects follow protocols influenced by ICOMOS charters and techniques utilized by Natural History Museum, London conservation departments, and participate in biodiversity initiatives aligned with Convention on Biological Diversity commitments. Curatorial research has been published in journals circulated by Museology journals, including collaborations with editors at Journal of Archaeological Science, Quaternary Science Reviews, and Biodiversity and Conservation. The museum maintains osteological reference collections supporting forensic and paleopathological studies akin to research at Smithsonian Institution laboratories and contributes data to databases used by GBIF and other biodiversity informatics platforms.
The museum offers guided tours, school programs, workshops, and lectures coordinated with educational bodies such as Cabildo de Tenerife educational services, Consejería de Educación del Gobierno de Canarias, and outreach modeled after programs at Natural History Museum, London and Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona. Public programs include citizen science initiatives in partnership with SEO/BirdLife, community archaeology with Archaeological Field Schools (Spain), and seasonal events linked to Fiestas de Mayo (Santa Cruz de Tenerife) and regional cultural calendars. Publishing activities produce catalogs and didactic materials comparable to those from Museo Arqueológico Nacional (Spain) and collaborate with university presses like Editorial Tenerife and academic series from Universidad de La Laguna.
Governance involves oversight by regional cultural authorities including Cabildo Insular de Tenerife and the Consejería de Cultura y Patrimonio Histórico del Gobierno de Canarias, and partnerships with municipal entities such as Ayuntamiento de Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Funding sources combine public allocations traceable to European Regional Development Fund projects, grants from Ministerio de Cultura y Deporte (Spain), research contracts with CSIC, and private sponsorships similar to arrangements with corporations and foundations like Fundación La Caixa and Banco Santander cultural programs. International project funding has included competitive awards from Horizon Europe and collaborative contracts with institutions across Spain, United Kingdom, Germany, and Portugal.
Category:Museums in Tenerife Category:Natural history museums in Spain Category:Archaeological museums in Spain