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Thursday, March 30, 2006
The Lost Pyramids of Guimar
Speaking of Tenerife beauty spots, as we were earlier, one visit that should not be missed in Tenerife is to the Parque Etnografico, built around the Pyramids of Guimar by the late Dr Thor Heyerdahl and shipping magnate Fred Olsen.
Like every single aspect of Tenerife's history, there is truth and there is myth and the two have become almost indistinguishable over the centuries, which combine to make this one of the most fascinating places, not just on the island, but on earth.
For me, it was not just magical to see the pyramids themselves and the other extremely well-presented exhibits, but also to see the replicas of the reed boats that Paulino Esteban in Bolivia had helped make for Heyerdahl. Viewers of Michael Palin's journey, Full Circle, will have "met" Esteban when he took Palin for a test-drive on Lake Titicaca.
Yesterday, I came across a wonderful article that describes The Lost Pyramids of Guimar.
"Although well known in Europe, few people outside the continent have even heard of the Islands let alone the mysteries they hold. The Canary Islands could contain definitive proof that ancient people crossed the globe by sea long before Columbus ever did."
"That proof might well lie in a large pyramid complex on the biggest of the Islands, Tenerife; and in the research of the Norwegian explorer, anthropologist and author, the late Dr Thor Heyerdahl. Realising that the pyramids were extremely similar to the step pyramids found in Peru, Mexico and ancient Mesopotamia, Dr Heyerdahl spent the last few years of his life living in Guimar, supervising the archaeological mission to survey and preserve the six step pyramids and the complex they were part of. "
Read more: The Lost Pyramids of Guimar
There are also over 70 photographs of the pyramid complex of Guimar in their Gallery. Check them out, by clicking here.
Parque Etnografico Website
Tags: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Canarias
2 Comments:
Sol wrote (on
March 11, 2007)
Yes, nobody can assure the veracity of the pyramids, like it's said we are between myth and reality ... and that's why that's so charming :)
Hi... I know that Heyerdahl's hypothesis is tempting, but you should read a bit more about the other ones (which, by the way, are more plausible)
(There's an English version of that page also, but is not as complete)