The Archaeologist

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The Mystery of the Tenerife Pyramids: Who Built Them, When and Why?

The Pyramids of Guimar, located in the eastern part of Tenerife in the district of Chacona, have long been a source of speculation regarding their construction and age. Some have hypothesized that the pyramids were built as a transatlantic link between ancient Egypt and Central America, but archaeological excavations have shown that the pyramids were constructed no earlier than the 1800s. The pyramids are made of dry stones with no mortar, and their sharp corners include larger stones, some of which have been found to be carved. The complex includes platforms and enclosures, and stairways ascend to the top of each pyramid, where a flat summit platform is covered with gravel. The staircases are always located on the western side, possibly indicating a ceremonial purpose.

Research has shown that the long sides of some of the structures mark the direction of the solstices, and on the summer solstice, a double sunset can be witnessed from the platform of the largest pyramid. Despite these astronomical alignments, some opposing the ceremonial origins of the pyramid complex claim that they are merely terraces made from random piles of stone. However, looking from above, it is clear that there is a plan for the complex. Archaeologists from the University of La Laguna excavated the pyramid complex between 1991 and 1998 and found that the earliest state of construction for the pyramids of Guimar was no earlier than the 1800s.