Received: 15 January 2018 Revised: 1 March 2018 Accepted: 1 April 2018 DOI: 10.1002/oa.2662 RESEARCH ARTICLE Violence targeting children or violent society? Craniofacial injuries among the pre‐Hispanic subadult population of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands) J. Velasco‐Vázquez1 | T. Delgado‐Darias2 | V. Alberto‐Barroso3 1 Historical Sciences Department, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Abstract Gran Canaria, Spain The approach to Gran Canaria's pre‐Hispanic period has traditionally been dominated 2 El Museo Canario, Las Palmas de Gran by a romantic and propitious view of its indigenous populations advocating a histori- Canaria, Spain cal evolution on the margin of the conflicts and contradictions common to any soci- 3 Tarha Research Group, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran ety. Yet new data indicate that the ancient Canarians were subject to high rates of Canaria, Spain internal violence linked to the island's isolation and harsh biogeographical conditions, Correspondence Javier Velasco‐Vázquez, Historical Sciences as well as marked personal differences and a strong hierarchization of the social order. Department, University of Las Palmas de Gran However, the effects of such a degree of violence among the subadult population Canaria, Pérez del Toro St. s/n. E‐35003, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. remain unknown. The study of the assemblage of the victims, particularly the younger Email:
[email protected] members of society, requires a global analysis of the historical conditions to determine whether this violence was exceptional or habitual. The findings of this study point to a prevalence of trauma among subadults (surpassing 20%), thus bolstering the notion of a society with widespread physical violence affecting the whole population or at least that above the age of 5 or 6 years.