The Caves of Valeron, located on the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, are a prehispanic rock complex of honeycomb caves that were used as granaries by the indigenous Guanese people. The caves were likely in use from at least 1040 AD up until the Spanish conquest in the 15th century. The site offers natural shelter and is open on only one side, making it easier to defend. There are over 350 separate compartments, ranging from 1 to 3 meters in size, found over eight levels.
Each compartment likely had a door, although it is unclear what they were made of. D-seals were found at the site, indicating the owner of each specific store room. Archaeologists have also found idols, paintings, ceramics, human remains, and ashes at the site. The caves were likely guarded, as accounts from the Spanish conquest mentioned towers that framed the caves. The Guanese were the indigenous inhabitants of the Canary Islands, speaking their own language, which is now extinct but believed to be related to the Berber languages of Northern Africa. They arrived on the islands in the first millennium BC and were largely wiped out by the Spanish conquest. Some elements of their culture still exist in customs and traditions, such as the whistled language of La Gomera Island.
