Lineal Upper Paleolithic scripts more ancient than some figures in Altamira Cave (Santander, Spain) are similar to those found in Sahara and Canary Islands

Abstract

Symbolic simple lineal signs are found in Altamira Cave older than some figurative animals painting (minimum 30.000 years BC, Upper Paleolithic, Gravettian epoch): The same signs have been found in South Algeria Sahara and Canary Islands as well as in other parts of Iberia in a megalithic or non-megalithic context i.e.: separated polished rocks and stones. Some signs of this lineal Megalithic/Paleolithic scripts have also been found in the Iberian-Tartessian signary which has been considered the result of these Paleolithic simple rock and stone scripts evolution. Ancient Iberian- Tartessian language has been considered related or identical to the Basque language (Basque Iberism) since the beginning of written history. Thus, the meaning of these Paleolithic signs has been related to Iberian and Basque languages. The hypothesized meaning of lineal megalithic/paleolithic scripts is religious and funerary in the context of the Mother Goddess Paleolithic/Neolithic religion. Moreover, the finding of the most ancient Homo sapiens remains (300000 years BC) in North West Africa close to Gibraltar Strait (Jebel Irhoud, northwest Morocco), the very ancient Paleolithic gene flow between Africa and Iberia and the non-extant demic diffusion from Middle East of agriculturalists to North Africa and Iberia make feasible a out of Africa man through Gibraltar to Iberia. This migration may have been more noticeable in the peak of green Sahara last desertification process (after 5000 years BC) or before and these climates exiled Saharians may have carried to Iberia both Lineal Paleolithic/Megalithic signs and even Iberian signary as indicated by the existence of both Paleolithic Lineal scripts and Iberian-Tartessian writing both in Sahara Hoggar Area and Canary Islands. Some of these Saharan exiles in different desertification cycles could have inhabited caves because of Iberian colder conditions, like Altamira Cave, and painted Megalithic/Paleolithic scripts. Other extant Iberian populations are not excluded, but genetics points to a strong genetic ancient flow to Iberia from Africa through Gibraltar Strait.