The Iberian-Guanche rock inscriptions at La Palma Is

All seven Canary Islands (Spain) harbour these scripts

Bibliographic Data

ID17802482
AuthorsAntonio Arnaiz‐villena (0000-0002-4268-7520, Universidad Complutense de Madrid), Antonio Arnaiz-Villena, Fabio Suarez-Trujillo, Fabio Suárez‐Trujillo (0000-0002-2719-6774, Universidad Complutense de Madrid), Valentín Ruiz-Del-Valle (Universidad Complutense de Madrid), Adrian López-Nares, Adrián López‐Nares (Universidad Complutense de Madrid), Felipe Jorge Pais-Pais (National Archaeological Museum)
Year2020
Volume2
Issue14
Pages318-336
Publication date2020-12-01
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.v2i14.5
OpenAlexW3112662904
LanguageEN
Citations received14
References cited10

Rock Iberian-Guanche inscriptions have been found in all Canary Islands including La Palma: they consist of incise (with few exceptions) lineal scripts which have been done by using the Iberian semi-syllabary that was used in Iberia and France during the 1st millennium BC until few centuries AD .This confirms First Canarian Inhabitants navigation among Islands. In this paper we analyze three of these rock inscriptions found in westernmost La Palma Island: hypotheses of transcription and translation show that they are short funerary and religious text, like of those found widespread through easternmost Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and also Tenerife Islands. They frequently name “Aka” (dead), “Ama” (mother godness) and “Bake” (peace), and methodology is mostly based in phonology and semantics similarities between Basque language and prehistoric Iberian-Tartessian semi-syllabary transcriptions. These Iberian-Guanche scripts are widespread in La Palma usually together with spiral and circular typical Atlantic motifs which are similar to these of Megalithic British Isles, Brittany (France) and Western Iberia. Sometimes linear incise Iberian-Guanche inscriptions are above the circular ones (more recent) but they are also found underneath (less recent). The idea that this prehistoric Iberian semi-syllabary was originated in Africa and/or Canary Islands is not discarded. It is discussed in the frame of Saharian people migration to Mediterranean, Atlantic (i.e.: Canary Islands) and other areas, when hyperarid climate rapidly established. On the other hand, an Atlantic gene and possibly linguistic and cultural pool is shared among people from British Isles, Brittany (France), Iberia (Spain, Portugal), North Africa and Canary Islands. Keywords: La Palma, Iberian-Guanche, Latin, Inscriptions, Iberian, Celts, Sahara, Africa, Garafia, Santo Domingo, Canary Islands, Lybic British, Brittons, Basque, Irish, Lybic Canarian, Palmeses, Benahoaritas, Awaritas, Tricias, Prehistory, Guache, Tartessian

Ancient history · Archaeology · Geography · Mediterranean climate · Megalith · Prehistory · Archaeological and Historical Studies · Basque language and culture studies · History · Linguistics and language evolution

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