A Lunisolar Prehistoric Calendar in Lanzarote Island: "La Quesera" (Cheeseboard) from Zonzamas

Abstract

Zonzamas “Quesera” (Zonzamas “Cheeseboard”) is a lunisolar calendar according to evidences shown in the present paper. It represents Ancient Canarian Year (“Atxano”, meaning “stick,axis or hill shadow”), which started at Summer Solstice, June 21st. Six carved channels –left to right- sequentially represent the first six Canarian months. The first carved channel shows: a) the first Old Canarian month starting June 21st with 30 days; following channels were following five Ancient Canarian months and b) landscape as observed from Zonzamas “Quesera” that includes Maneje and Tahiche mountains (where sun rises June 21st) and part of coast and sea.Also, intermediate (between carved channels) basalt rock prominent strips (right to left) represent sequencially the second six Canarian months ,starting with Winter Solstice when it is the 7th Ancient Canarian month. The 3rd rock strip (right-left direction) represents 9th Ancient Canarian month and has a conic salient, probably representing that a correction should be done in this month (February-March in Gregorian Calendar), for example, adding one day each four years (Leap Year). Thus, Zonzamas ”Quesera” is a 365 year sun calendar according with our evidences, which also may take into account lunar month phases as it will be detailed in another forthcoming paper. Zonzamas “Quesera” is put in context of old “Guanche”/”Majo” aborigen culture which may go back according to archaeological findings to an Epoch of Atlantic/Mediterranean Bronze Age-Megalithic culture at least and before Punic or Roman culture reached Canary Islands.

Keywords: Zonzamas, Quesera, Lanzarote, Canary Islands,  Anthropology, Prehistory, Genetics, Iberian Scripts, Calendar, Lunisolar, Sun, Moon, Achano, Archaeology, Berber, Roman, Punic.