Talaiots, navetes and taules
1 568. This is the number of sites that have now been inventoried. Vestiges of the talayotic culture provide us with information about the way of life of the islanders in prehistoric times. The word talayotique comes from the word talayot, a specific type of construction found on Menorca. There are three main categories of megalithic monument, allowing us to classify Menorca's talayotic architectural features.
Talaiots. To date, almost 400 talayots have been identified on the island of Menorca! Like Corsican torre or Sardinian nuraghes, talayots could have served as watchtowers, but their function went much further: they were prestigious features for towns, constructions of great symbolic importance. Talayots are practically the only type of talayotic construction shared by Menorca and Mallorca.
Shuttles. Navetes (plural of naveta) had funerary functions and are found only on Menorca. The exceptionally well-preserved naveta d'Es Tudons is considered one of the best-preserved megalithic monuments in Europe!
Taules. Finally, taulas, also found only on Menorca, are very numerous. They are a type of construction made up of two large stones arranged in a T-shape: one, set vertically, supports the other, set horizontally. They were used for religious purposes.
History of Talayotic culture
For a very long time, researchers distinguished only two main periods to describe the prehistoric era in the Balearic Islands: from an initial "troglodyte culture", man would have moved on to the "talayotic culture". Today, we know that the island's caves were used throughout prehistory only as burial spaces, and never as dwellings. On the other hand, after a century of archaeological excavations using scientific methodology, we also know that the broad outlines of the island's prehistory are a little more complex: we now recognize four periods that make it possible to distinguish the main phases of Menorca's prehistory: the so-called Dolmenic period (2100-1600 BC), the Navifa period (2100-1600 AD), the Dalmatian period (2100-1600 AD) and the Dalmatian period (2100-1600 AD)C.), the Naviform period (1600-1200 B.C.), the Talayotic period (1200-550 B.C.) and the final Talayotic period (550-123 B.C.). Let's take a closer look at what makes each period special.
Dolmenic period
The arrival of the first human communities in the Balearic Islands is later than in the rest of the Mediterranean islands, dating back to the third millennium BC, at the beginning of the Bronze Age. Although we know little about the first settlers, they did leave certain types of funerary constructions all over the island, in particular the dolmen (or megalithic tomb), the elongated hypogeum dug into the rocky subsoil and the paradolmen (or natural cave with megalithic construction). All these constructions are the collective tombs of small communities in which there is no social differentiation between members, and which have developed a fairly modest material culture. This population may have practiced an economy based on itinerant agriculture or livestock breeding, and lived in improvised dwellings, such as huts made from ephemeral materials, excavated caves or natural caves.
Naviform period
Throughout the second millennium B.C., the pattern of land occupation consolidated, and the first stable settlements began to appear. These were small groups of huts known as navetas or naviforms. These elongated horseshoe-shaped structures with stone walls have a south-facing doorway and a roof made of plant materials and mud. Islanders of this era laid their dead in "elongated" burial pods, but also in natural caves enclosed by a cyclopean wall. In all cases, these were collective tombs. In terms of social organization, the communities were egalitarian and homogeneous, and their members maintained kinship relations with each other, without any centers of power. Their main means of subsistence is animal husbandry (goats, sheep, pigs and cows), which they combine with cereal cultivation. They probably also developed a commercial activity, since traces of metallurgical activity have been discovered at certain sites.
Talaiotic period
At the end of the second millennium B.C., coinciding with the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age, the human communities inhabiting Menorca began to undergo major changes, resulting in the gradual abandonment of small residential villages and their replacement by larger towns, with open spaces and areas for various uses, built around monumental tower-shaped public buildings: the talayots. This change in settlement pattern was due to significant population growth and the ever-growing need to control the territory in order to meet the needs of this population. The size and number of talayots within a single town, as well as the extension of these settlements, may indicate a hierarchy between them: some smaller towns are subordinate to the main ones. Talayotic society, like its predecessor, had an economic model based on agriculture and animal husbandry.
Final Talaiotic period
Towards the middle of the first millennium B.C., a series of changes took place in indigenous Minorcan culture as a result of the growing hierarchy of Talayotic society and the influence that the colonial powers at war at this time were gradually exerting on the culture for control of the western Mediterranean. Throughout this period, talayots ceased to be built and remain in the towns probably only as symbolic elements of the past and as landmarks on the territory. On the other hand, a hitherto non-existent type of building emerged: the taula, a kind of sanctuary within which the community carries out ritual and festive ceremonies. This period was also characterized by the introduction of iron metallurgy and the construction of walls near certain towns, coinciding with the massive arrival of imported materials, notably wine amphorae and domestic crockery. While there are no clear signs of Punic colonization in the strict sense of the term in Menorca, there is evidence of intensified trade. After this period came Romanization, and with it the disappearance of Talayotic culture.
Talayotic heritage
"Cyclopean island odyssey" is the phrase chosen by the Menorca Talaiòtica committee to describe Menorca's Talayotic heritage. The word "cyclopean" here refers to a primitive construction method involving the laying of very large stones, squared or not, in rows. This is in contrast to monumental megalithic constructions based on the vertical placement of large slabs. Silent witnesses to a culture now extinct, the 1,568 or so sites on the island tell the story of the prehistoric epic that was the Talayotic period. A heritage preserved over the centuries by the island's inhabitants, protected by over 11,000 km of dry stone walls, an emblematic construction found throughout the island. The variety, quantity and good conservation of these remains and the landscapes they occupy have enabled Menorca Talayótica to be inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List at the 45th World Heritage Committee meeting in 2023. From a chronological point of view, the buildings on the island range from the emergence of Cyclopean constructions (around 1600 B.C.) to their decline, which corresponds to the beginning of Romanization (in 123 B.C. for Menorca).
Nine sectors (or zones) have been defined as part of the World Heritage classification. These areas range in size from a few hectares to several hundred hectares. These areas were selected according to two criteria: firstly, because they are home to the best examples of Menorca's Cyclopean architecture and Talayotic culture; and secondly, because of their ability to preserve the landscapes in which these vestiges are found, and their integration into the landscape since prehistoric times. And indeed, each area is a remarkable example of how archaeological sites can be integrated into living landscapes. Here, then, we present each of the Menorca Talayótica's zones of interest in turn.
Zone 1) Pla de Ciutadella: Naveta des Tudons, Torretrencada and Torrellafuda
This first archaeological zone is located in western Menorca, on the plains(planures) of Ciutadella. A particularly coveted region of the island since time immemorial, due to the fertility of the soil and, above all, the flatness of the terrain, it is home to a very high density of archaeological sites: there are 36 inventoried sites spread over 440 hectares. Among these, the Naveta des Tudons is the most representative and best-preserved monument of the naveta type. It is also one of the best-preserved prehistoric funerary edifices in Europe, and the main site to visit in this region. The area also contains the remains of two important Talayotic towns: Torrellafuda and Torretrencada. All in all, an exceptional prehistoric landscape, incredibly well integrated into the contemporary agricultural landscape. A perfect illustration of the harmonious coexistence of prehistoric monuments and modern agriculture.
Zone 2) Southwest area: Son Catlar, Son Saura wetlands and southern coastal cliffs
This archaeological unit in the south-west of the island offers a well-preserved landscape that reveals prehistoric settlement and land-use patterns from the Talayotic period. The Prat de Son Saura wetland is a natural area of high ecological value, used since prehistoric times for agro-pastoral activities. The 546-hectare area boasts 34 listed sites, including eight talayots. Also of note are the remains of dwellings from the late Talayotic period: Son Saura and La Cova. However, it is the remains of the prehistoric town that remain the main feature of this unit: Son Catlar is one of Menorca's most monumental talayotic complexes! Its main features? The spectacular post-Talayotic wall that surrounds it, but also its towers, the result of a process of Punic-Talayotic cultural hybridization. Son Catlar also boasts the island's largest taula enclosure (with two entrances). Son Catlar is the main site to visit in this zone.
Zone 3) Western Migjorn area: Son Mercer de Baix and Cova des Pas
Between the Trebalúger and Son Fideu gullies, in the central Migjorn Minorcan area, you'll find a fine sample of cliffs and caves used in Talayotic times as burial enclosures, all in an exceptional natural setting. Among the 24 sites inventoried in the 107-hectare area is the Cova des Pas, a cave in which numerous remains and tools associated with collective burial rites have been found, probably practiced between 1100 and 800 BC. These remains cannot be visited due to difficult access. The naviform remains at Son Mercer de Baix mark the intermediate stage between the megalithic period and the period when talayot construction became widespread, which is why the site occupies such a central place in Menorca's architectural landscape. The village is home to one of the few naviform buildings with a stone roof, known as the Cova d'es Moro. This is the main site to visit in this area, although it's advisable to check the Menorca Talayótica website beforehand for visiting times and conditions.
Zone 4) South-central gullies: Sant Agustí, Galliner de Madona and Prat de son Bou
Between the gullies of Torrevella and Son Boter, in the central area of Menorca Migjorn, lies an area of incredible geodiversity and biodiversity! Between the two ravines (which mark the two extremities of this archaeological zone), there are more than 40 sepulchral caves of different sizes and periods. One of these is the Cova des Coloms, where important elements from the Talayotic period have been discovered, including the famous ox antlers made of bronze. In terms of construction, 63 sites are spread over an area of 667 hectares. The main Talayotic towns here are Sant Agustí Vell and Binicodrell de Baix. This is the area with the greatest number and typological diversity of talayots. Of particular note is the famous talayot of ses Bigues de Mata, in Sant Agustí, whose original beams, made of wild olive wood and over 3,000 years old, are still clearly visible. This village is the main place to visit in this zone, although it's advisable to check visiting times and conditions on the Menorca Talayótica website beforehand.
Zone 5) Torrevella and Cala en Porter gully area: Torre d'en Galmés, Na Comerma de Sa Garita and Ses Roques Llises
Entirely within the boundaries of the municipality of Alaior and bounded by the ravines of Torrevella and Cala en Porter, this 632-hectare area is home to 25 archaeological sites set in a landscape that has changed very little since prehistoric times. Here we find Torre d'en Galmés, Menorca's best-preserved prehistoric town, inhabited from the early Naviform period (1600 BC) to the medieval period. A large talayotic city with monumental circular dwellings, it also boasts three spectacular talayots, four hypogeums and an exceptional taula. This taula was a ritual site and one of the best examples of the Talayotic people's connection with the sky and astronomy. Torre d'en Galmés is the main place to visit in this region. Also in this zone is the megalithic tomb of Ses Roques Llises, the best-preserved example of its kind in the Balearic Islands.
Zone 6) South-east and Alaior: Calescoves, Torralba d'en Salort, So na Caçana and Rafal Rubí
Covering an area of 502 hectares, this archaeological zone stretches between the mouths of the gullies converging on Calescoves (Biniedrís and Son Domingo) and the slightly rugged plain southeast of Migjorn. A total of 57 archaeological sites have been inventoried within this perimeter, including three Talayotic villages - Calescoves, Torralba d'en Salort and So na Caçana - as well as the remains of five smaller settlements. Torralba d'en Salort is home to one of the island's most spectacular taulas. So Na Caçana is home to one of the best-preserved taula enclosures, where an archaeo-astronomical phenomenon was recently discovered: on the day of the winter solstice, a ray of sunlight enters the building through a small window. The region is also home to the island's largest necropolis, Calescoves, with its 90 excavated caves. Last but not least, Rafal Rubí is one of the few sites on the island to boast two funerary naves. In this zone, Calescoves, Torralba d'en Salort and So na Caçana are also well worth a visit.
Zone 7) South-east and Maó: Talatí de Dalt, Torelló and Cornia Nou
Close to the urban area of Maó, in the south-west of the municipality, this zone is representative of Menorca's traditional agroforestry mosaic. In its 104 hectares, 13 archaeological sites have been identified, including Talatí de Dalt, Torelló and Cornia Nou. The town of Talatí boasts two talayots and a singular taula enclosure: after the building was abandoned, a lateral pilaster fell and rested on the capital of the taula, forming an emblematic image of Menorca's talayotic heritage! This is the main place to visit in this area! In Cornia Nou, you'll find two monumental talayots. Generally speaking, the monumental talayots in this area are excellent examples of the Talayotic era, and spectacular testimony to the determination of the islanders of the time: the effort required to lift such stones must have been colossal!
Zone 8) Trepucó village
The smallest Talayotic architectural zone on the island, its five hectares correspond to the remains of the great Talayotic town of Trepucó, located on the Maó-Es Castell side. Trepucó was one of Menorca's most important towns (very similar in size to Torre d'en Galmés). There are two talayots (one of them the widest on the Balearic Islands) and a monumental taula. Excavations carried out by British archaeologist Margaret Murray in 1930 provided the first evidence of the religious/ritual use of this type of building! Nearly 5 metres high, the Trepucó taula is Menorca's tallest and most spectacular. The site also includes an interesting group of circular talayotic dwellings. A must-visit for illustrious and erudite travellers throughout the 19th century, this site was the first to be scientifically excavated, marking Menorca's opening to European archaeology.
Zone 9) Northeast Tramuntana area: Sa Torreta, Albufera des Grau, Illa d'en Colom
Covering part of northeastern Menorca and including the islet Illa d'en Colom, this zone lies at the heart of the Albufera des Grau nature park. Over its 524 hectares, 28 deposits have been inventoried, including the Talayotic town of Sa Torreta de Tramonta and the prehistoric copper mine of Sa Mitja Lluna on Illa d'en Colom. Sa Mitja Lluna is the only known prehistoric mine in the Balearic Islands and one of the few in southern Europe to have been preserved unaltered (closed to visitors for conservation reasons). Sa Torreta de Tramuntana is the benchmark town in the north of the island. It features a talayot, an enclosure with a taula and the remains of circular dwellings. This village is the main place to visit in this region, although it's advisable to check the Menorca Talaiòtica website beforehand for visiting times and conditions.
