Were the Iberians the First Navigators of the Atlantic?

For decades, new archaeological discoveries and reinterpretations of existing evidence have opened an increasingly compelling debate about the origins of human navigation and the role that prehistoric cultures may have played in maritime exploration. Rather than being understood solely as a means of subsistence or local movement, the sea is now also being considered as a space of cultural connection from much earlier periods than traditionally assumed.

This session will explore the technical capabilities, knowledge, and motivations that megalithic societies may have possessed to venture across vast stretches of open water. It will examine the types of vessels they may have constructed and what the archaeological record reveals about their understanding of the marine environment. It will also address the hypotheses suggesting possible transatlantic contacts in pre-Columbian times, the evidence that has fueled this debate, and the routes that could, in theory, have made such journeys possible.

Through a critical review of the available evidence, the lecture will reflect on the historical and scientific implications that the confirmation of early transoceanic connections would entail, as well as on the relevance of opening new lines of research to explore, with academic rigor, the true extent of navigation in ancient times.

Speakers:

José Orihuela (Philosopher, anthropologist, and writer, National Distance Education University – UNED) will address the question of possible pre-Columbian transatlantic connections from prehistory through Antiquity, the existing evidence supporting such contacts, the potential routes and means by which they may have occurred, and the importance of further exploring this line of research for understanding the historical development of humankind.

Jilliane Belle (Nautical and underwater archaeologist, University of Cádiz) will focus on questions related to the origins of navigation, the perception of the sea and water among megalithic societies, the motivations that may have driven them to undertake such voyages, the types of vessels they may have used, and the maritime knowledge they possessed.

The session will be moderated by Manuel Pimentel (editor, writer, and host of Arqueomanía on La2), who will guide the discussion in order to provide a comprehensive perspective on a line of research that has so far been overlooked or largely ignored, yet which opens the door to addressing fundamental questions about the course of human history.