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Lineal Megalithic and Tartessian Rock Scripts in the Alcalar Dolmens complex (Portimao, Portugal) Also found in other Spanish and African prehistoric contexts


Antonio Arnaiz-Villena
Valentin Ruíz-del-Valle
Alejandro Sánchez-Orta
Fabio Suarez-Trujillo

Abstract

Lineal Megalithic Scripts (LMS) have been found in the Alcalar Dolmen complex (Portimao, Portugal) in a stoneslab which is located close to the reconstructed Dolmen 7. Exact situation of the megalithic Alcalar Stoneslab and scripts placing are shown in this paper. Their preliminar analysis has given also finding of some Iberian-Tartessian signs common to Cumbres Mayores Dolmens (Huelva, Spain), and other signs also found in Sahara Desert (Tim Missaou, Algeria) and Canary Islands rocks. The presence of these LMS admixed with some signs contained in the Iberian-Tartessian signary suggests a transition between LMS and lineal Tartessian signary. A religious funerary transcription has been proposed to these Tartessian signs based on Basque and ancient Iberian-Tartessian language close relatedness. The fact that Tartessian culture is located at Portuguese Algarve and Spanish Andalusia fits with the finding that both in Portugal (Alcalar) and Spain (Cumbres Mayores) Dolmens are found Iberian-Tartessian signs that may be as old as the megaliths (3-4 thousand years BC). It is also proposed that this development and concentration of megaliths in Algarve (Portugal) and Andalusia (Spain) is related to Tartessos civilization in the area which would follow the South Iberia Pyrite Belt, rich in cooper (Cu), silver (Ag), gold (Au) and iron (Fe), that crosses South Portugal and Spain; Tartessos would be somewhat attached to the Iberian Pyrite Belt source of richness. Leisners archaeologists also observed and photographed “Iberian” signs in the San Bartolomé Dolmen (Huelva, Spain) in 1951 AD; they described here “Iberian” scripts in a small artifact most likely is a slinger soldier (“hondero”) projectile who could exixt since 3-4000 BC in South Spain.


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eISSN: 1737-8176
print ISSN: 1737-7374