This month, we interview archaeologist Octavio Torres Gomariz, who has just published the book
Cercles, l'hàbitat protohistòric de l'illa de Menorca alongside Amalia Pérez-Juez. The book is
available online in the repository of the University of Alicante as part of the Petracos Collection from the university’s Institute of Archaeology and Historical Heritage.
How did your relationship with Menorca begin?
It began thanks to Joan Carles de Nicolás i Mascaró. He reached out to my thesis advisor at the University of Alicante to initiate a research project in Menorca, which I then worked on. Ten years ago, Joan introduced us to emblematic sites on the island, such as Sant Vicenç d’Alcaidús and Biniparratx Petit, where he had dedicated significant effort and hard work. These sites later became a fundamental part of my doctoral thesis. I am very grateful to him because, since we first met, he has always been kind and generous to me. He taught me about the island’s past with care and shared insights about the Menorcan circles that continue to inspire me as an archaeologist to this day.
What motivated you to study Menorca’s prehistory and, in particular, the circles as habitat structures?
There are many ways to study past societies through their archaeological material culture, but for me, the most fascinating is the study of houses. I’ve always been drawn to the idea that our homes say so much about us—the decorations of our teenage bedrooms, the layout of our dining rooms and kitchens, whether our bathrooms have showers or bathtubs, and even the facades of the buildings we live in.
Every part of a house tells a story of political, artistic, social, or cultural decisions, and this can also be applied to the study of the past.
I see houses as shared spaces that connect the past and present. The architecture and objects we find inside them during excavations reveal nearly everything about the people who lived there: how they interacted, what they did for work, what they ate, what their fears and concerns were, and how they managed their daily lives. Although houses sometimes receive little attention in major historical narratives, I consider them
the primary stage for what we call routine or daily life, which is the main driving force of history.
With all this in mind, when the opportunity arose to start the project in Menorca, I chose to focus my research on these circles because they hold the key to understanding the protohistoric society of the island.
What was the primary objective of your research in creating this book?
The idea, shared with my colleague Amalia Pérez-Juez, was to create a space for collective reflection and dialogue—a round table—on the unique phenomenon of Menorca’s habitat circles. In archaeology, while many articles and books are published, it’s rare for us to sit down and debate a specific topic or compare our ideas. This should happen more often, as it would allow us to identify both the strengths and weaknesses of our research.
We wanted to bring together everyone who had worked on the subject—those who had excavated these circles, studied their materials, or analyzed specific aspects for social or historical interpretation. Thanks to the
support of the Consell Insular de Menorca, we organized this meeting, which gave rise to the book. It is a collaborative work that compiles various studies and is intended for a broad audience.
In the book, you describe the circles as a distinctive feature of Menorca’s prehistoric habitat. Could you explain what they are and their archaeological significance?
The circles are, quite simply, the homes of the human groups that inhabited the island around 2,500 years ago, during the Talayotic Final—the protohistoric period of the Balearic archipelago. These houses are named for their apparent circular shape, although we know many had straight facades, forming more horseshoe-like or irregular shapes. They are truly monumental, both in terms of their architecture—featuring large stone slabs on their exteriors—and their size, which ranges from 80 to 120 square meters.
One of their most distinctive features is their interior layout, which generally follows a repeated model: a central courtyard surrounded by rooms arranged radially. Their archaeological significance lies in their role as the primary setting for daily life—where people ate, slept, took their first steps, and even learned to use a sling for the first time.
What sets the circles apart from other forms of prehistoric habitat in the Mediterranean?
Primarily, their circular shape, which gives them their name. At this time in the Mediterranean, houses were typically quadrangular or rectangular, as seen on the neighboring island of Mallorca, the Iberian Peninsula’s coastal regions, or Gallic settlements in the Gulf of Lion. This has been interpreted as evidence of resistance to a broader Mediterranean trend, reflecting the
strong identity of Menorca’s Talayotic society, as my colleague Alex Smith would say.
However, I believe the incorporation of new construction techniques—such as pillar walls or the spatial arrangement of rooms around a central courtyard—might indicate a more fluid and bidirectional contact with the outside world.
These adaptations and the adoption of forms from the Punic sphere, with which contact was closer during this period, suggest that Menorcan communities expressed new hierarchical relationships and growing inequalities through their homes. These discussions collectively highlight how the circles are exceptional study sites for understanding social relationships within and beyond these groups.
How did these constructions reflect the relationship between humans and their environment at the time?
The construction of a house, analyzed from a historical and archaeological perspective, explicitly reflects the connection between its inhabitants and their surroundings. From the choice of materials to the orientation of doors, every detail holds meaning and helps us better understand these populations. For example, studies conducted by Boston University at Torre d’en Galmés have shown that houses were built not only with locally sourced stone but also with clay, which was essential for walls—particularly for filling, raising, and plastering them.
The presence of cisterns, basins, and other storage features at sites like Trepucó or Biniparratx Petit further highlights the importance of another fundamental resource—water—and its communal management.
What sources and archaeological methods did you use to document and analyze the circles?
I like to describe my research methodology as an
“archaeology of daily life” focusing on detailed analysis of house architecture and material remains to understand the social and economic dynamics they reflect. The archaeological record—comprising ceramic fragments, other materials, and organic remains—combined with interdisciplinary studies (micromorphology, faunal analysis, carpology, etc.), forms the foundation for interpreting and reconstructing daily activities. These activities include food preparation, textile manufacturing, and other everyday technologies, as well as community care and maintenance.
This approach connects archaeological dwellings with the people of the past, shedding light on how political and religious structures, gender relations, age hierarchies, and class interactions were organized beyond the island’s shores.
What role have new technologies played in studying the circles?
They have primarily improved our documentation and recording techniques. Digital modeling and micro-scale mapping help us visualize and better understand the relationships between the data gathered through excavations and our interpretations. Moreover, these technologies have significant social and educational potential.
The work done by the REM Experience team in the book demonstrates how new technologies serve as exceptional educational tools. As archaeologists, we must embrace these techniques to foster greater engagement with the society we aim to reach through our research.
How does your study relate to the recognition of Talayotic Menorca as a World Heritage Site?
When we organized the round table that led to this book, Menorca was still in the process of being recognized as a World Heritage Site. Amalia and I thought it would be enriching to encourage the Menorcan archaeological community to gather for discussion and debate on the circles.
In the UNESCO dossier, these structures represent one of the pillars of the exceptional and authentic qualities underpinning Talayotic Menorca. This long-standing tradition of research deserved at least a dedicated space for dialogue, bringing together all social and political stakeholders.
Now that the book has been published, I believe we’ve contributed to this recognition by coordinating a shared reflection. The result is a scientific meeting point that has materialized in this book—a tool for knowledge accessible to society, openly
published with public support.
What would you say to visitors to Menorca about the importance of understanding and protecting this archaeological heritage?
I would encourage them to explore the island’s past as though peering through a window into the ancient Mediterranean. Menorcan archaeology tells a unique story, carved in carefully worked stone, that helps us understand our present through its identity and character, its patterns of adaptation and resistance in a sea that both connects and isolates.
I would also stress that understanding this heritage is essential for preserving it—a collective responsibility toward those who came before us and those yet to come. This requires not just visitors but also the residents, as only through combined efforts and dialogue can we continue building the past from the present.
Quick questions:
An inspiring Menorcan archaeological site: La Casa de l’Aeroport de Biniparratx Petit.
A career-defining discovery: Meeting Amalia Pérez-Juez Gil at the VII Archaeological Conference of the Balearic Islands in Maó in 2016.
An essential book or author to understand protohistory: María Lluïsa Serra Belabre.