The ancient volcanic landscapes of Tenerife have just borne a reason to potentially change our history books.

The Abora Conference 2026 was the womb of it. Organised by Dr Dominique Görlitz and his team, this interdisciplinary event was held on 3 July 2026, at the Museum of Nature and Archaeology (MUNA) in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It brought together international scientists and researchers to speak about the history of the Canary Islands. It unveiled shocking new evidence that challenges everything we thought we knew about the archipelago's early inhabitants. The symposium even brought forth an entirely new chronological framework for the islands' enigmatic step structures.

The long-held belief that these pyramids were merely agricultural stone heaps “built” by farmers was one of the core topics of the conference. Especially after the first-ever Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating results were presented by Dr. Georgios Polymeris and Dr. Jorge S. Sánchez. OSL checks when the foundation sediments were last exposed to sunlight, this advanced dating method successfully showed that two major Tenerife pyramids are significantly older than previously accepted. Up to perhaps 3500 years!

Furthermore, the discoveries expanded far beyond simple masonry. Dr. Michael Rappenglück presented precise archaeoastronomical measurements demonstrating that these stepped monuments line up deliberately with celestial phenomena, pointing to a sophisticated, broader cosmological concept held by their prehistoric builders.

This structural intelligence was further paired with astonishing new biochemical analysis of Guanche mummies, revealing traces of unexpected plant compounds that hint at ancient transatlantic trade networks.

Dr. Dominique Görlitz and the team are looking to further dig deeper into the history of Atlantic islands, even in the Portuguese Azores islands, as similar structures can be found there. Could these findings rewrite our history books and further our understanding of Atlantic islands?

You can find out even more about the project here: www.abora.eu