Chapter 4
The astro-archaeological dating of the Güímar complex
In addition to scientific dating methods and bioarchaeological analyses, astroarchaeology forms another central pillar of the Canary Islands Pyramid Project. It investigates the extent to which buildings were deliberately aligned with astronomical events such as solstices, equinoxes, or striking celestial phenomena. Especially in cultures without written records, such alignments can provide valuable clues about the timing, worldview, and ritual practices of those cultures.
The pyramid complex of Güímar on Tenerife offers exceptionally favorable conditions for this. The former nine step pyramids are characterized by a clear geometric order, recurring building axes, and a striking topographical setting. The study received important impetus from exchanges with archaeoastronomer Dr. Michael Rappenglück (1st picture, top right). Rappenglück has many years of experience in analyzing prehistoric celestial references and has been involved in studies on Stone Age and early historical calendar systems, among other things.
Based on these findings, the Güímar complex was not considered in isolation, but rather placed within a larger cultural and historical context. Rappenglück and Görlitz first determined that between 3,000 and 2,800 BC, there were several pyramids forming so-called alignments. This means that certain pyramids point to the rising of specific stars or constellations, such as Pyramid 3 pointing to Sirius at midnight or Pyramid 6 pointing to Betelgeuse in Orion a few hours earlier.
Another significant finding of the astroanalysis is that the two outer walls of the ceremonial terrace mark the “irregular width” of the entire Milky Way. During the period under investigation, it stands vertically (meridian passage) between 82-110° in the east and 278-298° in the west. The vertical course of the Milky Way across the firmament is precisely memorized by the four pyramids lying one behind the other and the terrace in both directions of the sky. The effect is most pronounced between 2,800 and 2,900 BC. This point is also indicated by pyramid no. 8, in whose extension (in the underworld) the Los Conjaros pyramid on the island of La Palma is located.
The astroarchaeological dating therefore does not represent isolated evidence, but rather adds a crucial dimension to the other lines of research: it shows that the builders of the Canarian pyramids not only possessed technical skills, but also an astronomical understanding of time, the cosmos, and architecture—a finding that sheds new light on the cultural level of the pre-Hispanic Canary Islands.
Unique photograph of the “double sunset” at the Long Pyramid complex in Güímar. At the summer solstice, the sun literally sets twice there, through a rocky corner in the mountains.
Initial test analyses using Stellarium on the position of the Milky Way at the Güímar pyramid complex. With the assistance of Dr. Rappenglück, Görlitz determined that the ceremonial terrace between Pyramids 2 and 3, with its trapezoidal walls, points precisely toward the outer, irregular edges of the Milky Way. This position and orientation occur only between 3000 and 2800 BC. All just coincidence?