Virtual skeletons and digital muscles: an experimental bioarchaeological approach to the pre-Hispanic production of millstones (Tenerife, Canary Islands)

Jared Carballo-Pérez is a predoctoral researcher contracted in the Area of Prehistory of the Department of Geography and History of the University of La Laguna. His research combines Archaeology, Biomechanics, and Physical Anthropology to analyze the physical activity patterns of past populations. He has specialized in applying software to analyze movements during experimental works in this field. This type of study has the potential to identify the muscle chains and joints most used in archaeologically identified tasks, which has an extraordinary application in the study of bone remains from archaeological contexts, as well as in the representation of virtual humans.

Norberto Marrero-Gordillo is a professor in the Human Anatomy and Embryology Area of the Department of Basic Medical Sciences. Among several lines of research, he has specialized in anthropometric studies related to Sports Sciences, which has been very useful when applying motion analysis software to Experimental Archeology and Ethnoarchaeology works.

Alberto Lacave-Hernández is a contracted predoctoral researcher (FPI) in the Prehistory Area of the Department of Historical Sciences. His line of research is dedicated to the technological study of the lithic industry used by the indigenous populations of the Canary Islands. In this sense, he has specialized in applying experimental work to identify the different phases of the manufacturing process of stone tools, such as rotary millstones.

Matilde Arnay-de-la-Rosa is a professor in the Prehistory Area of the Department of Geography and History. Among her multiple lines of research, she has dedicated herself to investigating the different modes of occupation, production, and communication in the indigenous past of the high mountains of Tenerife, as well as in the heritage management models of the Las Cañadas del Teide National Park. Her specialization covers the study of the human remains of indigenous people buried in high mountain caves and the archaeological survey of the production of rotary mills in these contexts.