Iberian inscriptions in Sahara Desert rocks (Ti-m Missaou, Ahaggar Mts. area, Algeria)

First evidence of incise Iberian rock scripts in continental North Africa

Bibliographic Data

ID17802479
AuthorsAntonio Arnaiz-Villena (Universidad Complutense de Madrid), Valentín Ruiz-Del-Valle (Universidad Complutense de Madrid), Adrian López-Nares, Adrián López‐Nares (Universidad Complutense de Madrid), Fabio Suarez-Trujillo, Fabio Suárez‐Trujillo (0000-0002-2719-6774, Universidad Complutense de Madrid)
Year2021
Volume2
Issue15
Pages440-467
Publication date2021-05-27
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Modern Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1737-7374 • E-ISSN: 1737-8176
PublisherTunisian Association of Anthropology (PUBLISHER • TN)
DOI10.4314/ijma.v2i15.3
OpenAlexW4242665897
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited14

In the present paper, we show Iberian or Iberian-Guanche scripts found in the Middle of Sahara Desert, Ti-m Missaou (Tim Missao, Tim Missaw), 270 km SouthWest of Tamanrasset on Ahaggar or Hoggar Mountains (Mts.) area (Algeria). More Iberian scripts may be earthed beneath Sahara Desert sands or have been neglected by observers. We also put forward that Iberian semi-syllabary may have its origin in the Neolithic Saharo-Canarian Circle, the same as other Mediterranean, Atlantic and European lineal scripts (apart from Berber/Tuareg) like Etruscan, Runes, Old Italian languages, Minoan Lineal A, Sitovo and Gradeshnitsa (Bulgaria) writings (6,000 yearsBC) and others. In fact, Strabo wrote that Iberians had written language before since 6,000 BC. On the other hand, Sahara Desert was green and populated since before 5,000 years BC and we had proposed that most of Mediterranean culture, languages and writing, had a Saharan origin. Ti-m Missaou Sahara Iberian inscriptions, together with our previous and others researches on Canary Islands, further support this proposal, i.e.: rock scripts, Gimbutas-like Paleolithic figurines and unusual artifacts, like a lunisolar Egyptian-like calendar (“Cheeseboard/Quesera” at Lanzarote) carved in a Megalithic stone, do no support that Phoenicians and Romans carried Canarian ancient Guanche culture. Finally, a continuous lineal writing systems developing seems to have occurred during Paleolithic and Neolithic Epochs, which also harbor the related incise Lineal Megalithic Scripts that could have given rise to Iberian development and other lineal African, European and Mediterranean lineal language scripts. Our present new data is interpreted in the context of the Sahara people migration which occurred when hyperarid conditions started establishing about 6,000 years BC. Keywords: Iberian, Iberian-Guanche, Scripts, Canary Islands, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Prehistory, Saharo-Canarian Circle, Genetics, Megaliths, Iberia, Sahara, Atlantic, Mediterranean, Lineal Scripts, Neolithic, Tamanrasset, Hoggar, Ahaggar, Usko-Mediterranean,Etruscan, Tuareg, Berber, Lineal A

Ancient history · Archaeology · Desert (philosophy) · Geography · Mediterranean climate · Megalith · Middle Paleolithic · Scripting language · African Studies and Geopolitics · Archaeological and Historical Studies · Geology · History · Language, Linguistics, Cultural Analysis

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