Rafael González Antón, Former Director of Tenerife Archaeological Museum, Dies

The organization that runs Tenerife's museums and cultural centers has expressed sadness at the death of Rafael González Antón, who passed away last Saturday. He was a researcher and former director of the Archaeological Museum of Tenerife (MUNA).

José Carlos Acha, the Minister of Culture and Museums, emphasized that González Antón dedicated his career to studying the heritage of the Canary Islands. His work covered everything from pre-Hispanic pottery to the ethnography and colonization of the islands. He was also crucial in revitalizing the main museum's approach.

Acha said, "He was a kind and generous colleague, as well as a tireless researcher who always had innovative ideas in the various fields he worked in. He will be greatly missed."

Rafael González Antón was born in La Laguna in 1945. His family had strong ties to archives, libraries, and museums. His father, Emilio González Díaz de Celis, was a doctor and the director of the University of La Laguna's library. His grandfather, Joaquín González Fernández, was the first director of the National Historical Archive.

González Antón studied at the Cabrera Pinto Institute in La Laguna and took philosophy and arts courses at the University of La Laguna from 1963 to 1965. He then moved to Madrid to specialize in Geography and History at the Complutense University (1965-1968). After a long career, he voluntarily stepped down as director of the Ethnographic Museum in 1995 to focus on the Archaeological Museum. The first phase of the Archaeological Museum opened in October 1997 in the old Civil Hospital Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados, with the exhibition phase completed in January 2002.

Once in charge, he began publishing extensively. In 1989, he created and directed the magazine "ERES. Archeology Series." In 1991, he partnered with the Cabildo of Tenerife's Culture Department to create a series of publications and informative videos about the islands' early history (2005).

He also held important positions and played a key role in managing historical, artistic, and ethnographic heritage, particularly during his time as inspector of Historical Heritage of Tenerife (1990-2002). Under his leadership, various archaeological maps and inventories were created, including the inventory of rock engravings of Los Baldíos (La Laguna) and archaeological charts of Arafo, Guía de Isora, Masca, Parque Rural de Teno, and the slopes of Campeche in San Juan de la Rambla, among others.

He also participated in several archaeological excavations, such as at the hermitage of San Benito (La Laguna), the Zanata site (El Tanque), Tomaseche (El Tanque), the Convent of San Bernardo (Los Silos), canals and basins of Arico, Punta de Rasca (Arona), and Mesa del Mar (Tacoronte).

Additionally, the special protection plans he directed, commissioned by the General Directorate of Culture and Historical Heritage of the Government of the Canary Islands, were very important. Notable examples from 1991 include: Comarca de Teno, the Archaeological Site of Belmaco (Mazo, La Palma), the Archaeological Complex of Barranco Cabrera (El Sauzal), the archaeological site of Guargacho (San Miguel), and the ethnographic complex of the Lime Kilns (Puerto de la Cruz).

González Antón was a dedicated teacher, serving as director and professor of numerous courses and seminars, and participating in many conferences. Throughout his career, he focused on five main areas of research: the study of pre-Hispanic and popular pottery of the Canary Islands, the ethnohistory and acculturation of the Archipelago in the 1980s, the archeology and museography of the Guanche mummies, the investigation of the colonization and human settlement of the Islands, and the study of women in the early history of Tenerife, which he pursued after his retirement.