Cumbres Mayores (Huelva, Spain): A new striking Megalith complex and its incise Lineal Megalithic and Tartessian Scripts

Abstract

A big megalithic complex has been described at Cumbres Mayores (Huelva, Spain): it is composed of menhirs, a cromlech and some other not yet fully studied structures. Lineal Megalithic Scripts are present both on the rocks and the menhirs which also contain figure engravings. Iberian signs included within Iberian-Tartessian semi-syllabary are also found mixed with Megalithic scripts; Leisner archaeologists also noticed “Iberian Megalithic scripts” in 1951 at San Bartolomé Dolmen (Huelva). They are the same signs that also appear at a Sahara Desert cave (Ti-m Missaou, Algeria) and rocks throughout all seven Canary Islands. Lineal Megalithic Scripts have also been found in other Andalusian megaliths (dolmens) and throughout Andalusia in many big or small stones both in megalithic or non-megalithic contexts. These Iberian-Tartessian semi-syllabary signs present in a megalithic context would drive Iberian-Tartessian writing dating back to 3000 to 5000 years BP with a big geographic extension, comprising South Sahara Desert, Canary Islands and South Iberia. A political unit and a common language are not known to have existed but people from former green Sahara Area emigrated because rapid desertification after 6000 years BC and also people exchange across Gibraltar Strait exists since Prehistoric times. Finally, these Iberian-Tartessian megalithic signs are found in the core of classic Tartessian Cumbres Mayores area: this may put Tartessian civilization writing formation dating back to 5,000 - 3,000 years BC as already stated by Strabo.