Since the rediscovery of the Canary Islands in the early 14th century, Europeans and Canarians alike have been trying to solve the question of the early colonisation of the islands. Various theories and controversies ensued, notably in the late 19th century when French and German scholars in particular took up the debate and, in the spirit of imperialist archaeology, created theories based on social and political issues rather than empirical data. This study examines theories on the colonisation of the islands both before and in the aftermath of imperialist archaeology and focuses on the impact of the latter on Canarian archaeological and anthropological research, institutions and scientific production.