The
Menorca Archaeological Project (MAP) 2024 archaeological intervention campaign, which ended this week, has continued with the aim of deepening the diachronic study of the habitat at Torre d'en Galmés. For a month (from June 13 to July 14), the researchers have focused on the excavation of a large house of the 13th century Andalusian period, known as SPU 7, as well as on the documentation of medieval structures and soundings in the ‘cova de les sepultures’ to confirm the chronology of the burials.
The MAP 2024 team is made up of researchers from various institutions, such as Boston University, SUNY Brockport, Brown University, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona and Universidad de Alicante, as well as students and volunteers.
Discoveries in SPU 7
The SPU 7 house, with almost 200 m², is
one of the largest domestic spaces in Torre d'en Galmés. It is made up of several rectangular and square rooms arranged around a courtyard. The rooms, built over a metre of collapsed post-Talayotic circle, have typical Andalusian characteristics, such as the whitewashing of the spaces and the tiled roofs. This year, the collapse of one of the roofs over Area 4 was documented, and the team found tiles, mortar and vegetation cover. The rooms also had small porches that served as extensions for domestic activities and storage of tools and footwear.
Sediment analysis and archaeobotanical recording
The research team floated sediment from all the areas and studied seeds and charcoal to reconstruct the landscape and its management. One of the objectives has been to approach the medieval diet through the archaeobotanical record, fauna and pottery. Among the discoveries are the cultivation of barley and wheat and the use of honey.
Ceramics from the 13th century
The ceramic forms found reflect table, kitchen and storage ware typical of the 13th century, with local production and a scarcity of imports. The Christian conquest of Mallorca in 1229 significantly reduced the arrival of pottery from the potteries of Palma.
MAP scientific project
The MAP project investigates the use of space over time at Torre d'en Galmés, identifying areas of habitation, circulation, work, worship and open spaces during the Talayotic, Roman and Medieval phases. MAP focuses on the Andalusian reoccupation of the 12th and 13th centuries to understand the underlying Talayotic substratum. Thanks to an interdisciplinary approach, they seek to reconstruct not only the form of the Andalusian farmstead, but also the landscape and the management of the environment by the new settlers and over time.