ancient astronomy canary islands book launch

Book Reveals Ancient Skywatchers of the Canary Islands

Book Launch Explores Ancient Canarian Astronomy

Journalist and writer Luis Socorro presented his book, Astrónomos del Pasado, Arqueoastronomía de Canarias (Astronomers of the Past: The Archaeoastronomy of the Canaries), last Friday at the Círculo Cultural in Telde, Gran Canaria. The event was organised by the environmental group Turcón-Ecologistas en Acción and featured a visual summary of the most notable sites, drawn from the 45 visited by the author for this work.

A Journey Through Time and Sky

The president of the environmental collective, Consuelo Jorges, highlighted that this work compiles all the knowledge accumulated in recent years about pre-Hispanic sites that reveal how the ancient islanders looked to the sky, measured time, and observed the firmament. She noted that Astrónomos del Pasado is the result of an eleven-month journey the journalist undertook from February to December 2024 across the seven islands with an indigenous past.

During his presentation, Socorro selected several slides to bring his research to the public and explain the importance of the Canary Islands’ astronomical markers and sites. The presentation featured images of sites including Las Lajitas in La Palma, the Soliforme de San Lorenzo in Tenerife, the Tablero de Cofete in Fuerteventura, Las Toscas del Guirre in La Gomera, Punta de Jis in El Hierro, Guenia and Las Queseras in Lanzarote, and Bentayga, Tara and La Angostura in Gran Canaria.

A Comprehensive and First-Hand Account

As astrophysicist Dr César Esteban explains in the book’s prologue, the work includes research from various authors on a large number of sites across the archipelago, providing a global and enriching vision. The organising group praised the work as commendable for several reasons. “On one hand, the author has visited the places he discusses,” they stated, adding that “he has interviewed the researchers featured in his book and collected textual quotes, placing them ahead of his own opinions—all first-hand and with no filter other than that of someone presenting different points of view in an informed and honest manner.”

Author’s Background and Future Events

Turcón reminds the public that its next talk will be on Friday, 24 April, at 20:00, continuing its ‘Women and the Environment’ series.

Luis Socorro Hernández is a journalist and writer, holding a degree in Information Sciences from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. In 1985, he wrote his first archaeology news piece, and since then, historical heritage reporting has been a constant in his career, primarily for outlets such as Canarias7, La Provincia, and Antena 3 TV. He is also the author of the novel El Crimen de Melania and Amaziges de Canarias, Historia de una Cultura, his first investigation into the indigenous legacy.

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