Fuerteventura LinealMegalithicEurafricanScripts
Fuerteventura LinealMegalithicEurafricanScripts
Fuerteventura LinealMegalithicEurafricanScripts
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Research Report
Introduction
In addition, many other ancient rock lineal scripts are named Lineal Megalithic
Writings or signs. Whether these signs represent one single or several languages,
symbolic or utilitarian material (i.e.: measuring space/time/sky schemes) is not known.
They have also been found in Iberia in a Megalithic context (thus its name): more or
less unclassifiable lines and signs are found in Southern Spain like in Huelva and Cadiz
dolmens (Vazquez-Hoys 2008; Arnaiz-Villena et al. 2013) respectively, and Antequera
Dolmens ( Muñoz-Gambero 2019). Linear rocks incise lines and signs are also found in
Northern Spain Pontevedra Stone, Galicia, Spain (Muñoz-Gambero 2019); some of
them are mixed with typical Iberian semi-syllabary scripts, as the typical vocal “i”
(Arnaiz-Villena, personal observation), (Muñoz-Gambero 2019; Arnaiz-Villena, Piedra
de Pontevedra, Museo Galego, personal observation).
In summary, together with the so called Lineal Megalithic Scripts (Vazquez-
Hoys 2008; Muñoz-Gambero 2019) found in North and South Iberia, Iberian semi-
syllabary signs are found (Fig. 1). A continuum timeline of lineal painted and incised
lines is found from lineal more ancient or Megalithic more recent alphabetic-like signs
like Sitovo and Gradeshnitsa in Bulgaria (Fig. 2), which are dated older than 3,500
years BC, Iberian (Fig. 1) and syllabaries/alphabets evolution timeline may go back till
about 70,000 years (in South Africa, Paleolithic) to 1st millennium BC and later.
Fig. 1: Iberian incise rock inscriptions found in Cerdanya, Mt Pyrenees (Spain) and Lanzarote
(Canary Islands, Spain) together with naviform likes which are a characteristic lineal rock
Iberian Scripts. These naviform lines are also found in Canary Islands together with Ibero-
Guanche rock scripts (Arnaiz-Villena et al. 2015; 2020b).
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Fig. 2.
Sitovo and Gradeshnitza ancient inscriptions found in Bulgaria dated older than 3,500 years BC.
SITOVO INSCRIPTION: http://www.korenine.si/zborniki/zbornik06/serafimov_sitovo06.pdf;
https://www2.uned.es/geo-1-historia-antigua-
universal/ESCRITURAS_ANTIGUA/Escrituras_3__antiguas_BALKAN_DANUBE-SCRIPT.htm
GRADESHNITSA TABLETS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gradeshnitsa_tablets)
Lineal Megalithic Rock Scripts as precursors of Mediterranean ancient writings / Arnaiz-Villena et al.
with other lineal semi-syllabaries. A link between “Green” Sahara ancient rock script
culture and Canarian Archipelago and also with African, European and Mediterranean
lineal writing/scripts was lacking, and we present new evidence of such a relationship in
the present paper. It is based on rock/stone epigraphy, since Iberian characters have
been found in Central Sahara (Mt Ahaggar Area, South West Tamanrraset, Algeria and
the new Lineal Megalithic scripts showed below in Fuerteventura Island (Figs 4, 5) as
also showed in other Canary Islands.
.
Fig. 3
Old Italian Lineal alphabets (not dated ).VENETIC, LEPONTIC,
RAETIC:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepontic_language#/media/File:Venetic_Raetic_Camuni
c_Lepontic_alphabets.png
A Sony Camera Cybershot 14.1 Megapixels Carl-Zeiss lens Vario-Tessar and Sony
Xperia G3112 cellular phone camera were used for photograph work.
635
Results
Examples of schematic lineal rock scripts from Africa, Europe and Mediterranean
Area with a map of developed lineal writings placement.
Photographs of Lineal Megalithic/Paleolithic –like rock scripts at Fuerteventura
A difference should be point out between Paleolithic and Megalithic rock scripts.
Megalithic ones are found in a Megalithic context even if in small stones far from
Megaliths (not older than 7,000 years BP, see Arnaiz-Villena et al. 2015 and Muñoz-
Gambero 2019). Whether they represent syllables/letters of writing pointing out events,
space/time measuring and /or symbols is not known. It is premature any kind of
classification since the variety of scripts, their support and support size etc is
overwhelming. They are found throughout Iberia and also recorded all over the World
like South Africa (von Petzinger 2017; Henshilwood and D’Errico 2011, see Fig. 6).
For example, Pichler (2003) thinks that Vinca script is borderline between structured
writing and symbols and they are spread throughout Balcanic Peninsula and Romania.
The support of both Paleolithic and Megalithic lineal signs vary from small to
bigger stones (intentionally polished or not) and cave or orthostate walls. In the
schematic figures showed in the present paper, some examples of ancient languages
lineal writing are shown from Africa, Mediterranean Area and Europe. In addition,
Greek and Latin alphabets are also lineal. Latin and Geek were written in minor case
only at Middle Age.
A
636
Fig. 4
A, B, C. Lineal Megalithic/Paleolithic-like rock scripts found in Los Castillejos (Ampuyenta),
Fuerteventura (Canary Islands, Spain). Photos taken by authors.These type of inscriptions are
found all around Fuerteventura both on rocks and small or bigger stones. Antiquity of
inscriptions are not determined.
637
B
638
Fig. 5
A, B, C, D. Lineal Megalithic rock scripts found in Degollada de Facay, mountains that separate
Tetir Valley from Tefia Valley, Fuerteventura (Canary Islands, Spain). Photos taken by authors.
639
Fig. 6 Blombos Cave (South Africa). A lineal Paleolithic artifact with a regular incise design (70,000
years BP). It is dated long before than Lineal Megalithic scripts (Henshilwood & D´Errico 2011). The
represented incised motifs are very similar to those found at a Fuerteventura rock, which was donated to
its Archaeological Museum on October 17th 2019 (Spanish EFE News Agency).
Fig. 7
Map showing examples of ancient Lineal Writings of Europe, Mediterranean Area, North Continental
Africa and Canary Islands main locations. Also, Iberian phrases and signs have been found in the Middle
of Sahara Desert, 200 km Southwest of Tamanrraset, Algeria (Arnaiz-Villena et al. 2021)
640
Fig. 8
Transliterated Proto-Tuareg (Tifinagh) and Proto-Berber ancient linear alphabets. PROTO-
TUAREG: https://omniglot.com/writing/tifinagh.htm;
http://www.proel.org/index.php?pagina=alfabetos/tifinagh; PROTO-BERBER: Arnaiz-Villena
& Alonso-García 2001; Chabot 1940; 1941.
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Lineal Megalithic Rock Scripts as precursors of Mediterranean ancient writings / Arnaiz-Villena et al.
Lineal Megalithic Rock Scripts as precursors of Mediterranean ancient writings / Arnaiz-Villena et al.
Fig. 12
Balkan Vinca and Scandinavian Runic signs. Runes are probably wrongly interpreted in this
particular example. They are widespread throughout Scandinavia and Central Europe. Other
authors interpreted them as letters /symbols.
VINCA: https://omniglot.com/writing/vinca.htm;
https://www2.uned.es/geo-1-historia-antigua-
universal/ESCRITURAS_ANTIGUA/Escrituras_3__antiguas_BALKAN_DANUBE-
SCRIPT.htm, font created by Sorin Paliga of the Department of Slavic Languages and
Literature at the University of Bucharest, Romania;
RUNIC: https://omniglot.com/writing/runic.htm; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runes
644
Lineal Megalithic Rock Scripts as precursors of Mediterranean ancient writings / Arnaiz-Villena et al.
Conclusions
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Science and
Universities PI18/00721 and European FEDER funds. We thank to Marco Antonio
Blanco del Rio from Costa Calma (Fuerteventura) for being a continuous source of
information.
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International Journal of Modern Anthropology. 2 (16): 629 - 648
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ijma.v2i16.6
This article, as all articles published in this journal, is under The Creative Commons Attribution:
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