A recent study conducted by the Cultural Chair of Berber Studies at the University of La Laguna (ULL) indicates that Libyan-Berber writing may have persisted in Tenerife until the onset of the conquerors.
In an article published in the journal ‘Paleohispánica’, epigraphers Renata Springer and Irma Mora provide further insights into the connection between the Guanches and Europeans, outlining phonetic characteristics that could imply this continuity.
The research centres on the examination of seven Libyan-Berber inscriptions recorded in Tenerife, three of which were uncovered through the Inventory of alphabetical inscriptions in the Canary Islands rock area, a project initiated in 2016 and financed by the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of the Canary Islands.
Utilising a multidisciplinary approach, the authors explore factors such as materials, archaeological contexts, and texts, offering fresh perspectives on these epigraphic expressions, as stated by ULL.
Among their significant findings, Mora and Springer highlight graphemes influenced by overlapping engravings and suggest a possible correlation between one inscription and a Christian scene—an observation that opens up new avenues for understanding the cultural exchanges between Guanches and Europeans.
Furthermore, the article emphasizes the spatial relationship between the inscriptions, watchtowers, and traditional trails, thereby underscoring a cultural linkage between writing and engravings of Libyan-Berber imagery.
The analysis of these inscriptions yields important results, such as the identification of grammatical morphemes and a dialect phenomenon, specifically the spirantisation of the initial “t”, a characteristic previously noted in Guanche toponymy by philologist Jonay Acosta, who is also affiliated with this chair.
This phonetic trait, seemingly late in occurrence, combined with the potential association of an inscription with Christian motifs, suggests that Libyan-Berber writing continued to be utilised in Tenerife up until the Conquest.
The findings of this research were presented on December 18 during the final lecture of the series “Berber Footprints in the Canary Islands,” organised by the Cultural Chair of Berber Studies alongside the Royal Economic Society of Friends of the Country of Tenerife.
