LOMO DE LOS LETREROS GRAN CANARIA

The 'Ridge of the Inscriptions', in the Barranco de Balos is a remarkable aboriginal site: a 300m-long rock face bearing incised sketches of the human form, and geometric patterns such as concentric circles, spirals and triangles. Much weathered over the years, it has also been considerably defaced. The etched shape of something resembling a boat is significant in view of the fact that, by the time they were conquered, the islanders had lost all knowledge of navigation and boating. Local environmentalists disapprove of open access. As with many of Gran Canaria's important archaeological sites, lack of funding and official neglect compound the problems created by graffiti writers and souvenir hunters.The site is closed to the pubic at the time of writing, but may reopen in the future.