Materialidades e inmaterialidades del molino de mano. Desmemoria, colonialidad y dinámicas del círculo entre Canarias y el sur de MarruecosMaterialities and Immaterialities of the Hand Mill. Loss of Memory, Coloniality and Dynamics of the Circle between the Canary Islands and the South of Morocco.

Abstract

Obtaining «gofio» from the grinding of previously roasted cereals has been central to the way of life of Canarian people both in the pre-Hispanic and post-conquest periods, forming one of their great cultural diacritics. Paradoxically, the study of gofio culture has focused on the most industrial modes of production, leaving manual production almost completely orphaned. This is reflected in academic and informative publications or in museographic discourses, both archaeological and ethnographic, which will be analyzed here from the perspective of decolonial theory. On the other hand, we propose to carry out a symbolic investigation of grinding in the Canary Islands, based on archaeological, ethnographic and anthropological evidence, to counteract the stereotyped and exotic simplicity with which the manual mill has been observed up to now. Likewise, we will try to leave behind the colonialist bias present in the representation of the object. Finally (and once again) we will propose the necessary comparative research with North Africa.