This morning, the team from the Associació Arqueologia i Patrimoni presented the results of the third archaeological excavation and restoration campaign at the Sant Agustí Vell talayotic site to local authorities, as part of the 2023–2027 five-year programme.
The visit was attended by Joan Pons Torres, Councillor for Culture, Education, Youth and Sports of the Consell Insular de Menorca and president of the Talayotic Menorca Agency; heritage archaeologist Victòria Cantarellas; Paloma Carrasco, Councillor for Education and Youth of the Es Migjorn Gran Town Council; and José Seguí Chinchilla from the ASMAR Catalina Mercadal Foundation.
Co-director of the excavation, Damià Ramis, together with the project’s conservator-restorer, Cecília Ligero, outlined the main advances achieved this season in and around Talayot 1, particularly in the south building and its adjacent rooms, dating to the Late Talayotic period (550–123 BCE). They also highlighted key steps forward in the restoration work, such as the reconstruction of a broken basin and the re-erection of a large column in the front room of the south building.
Among the most significant discoveries are a small askos used for pouring liquids and a bowl with a raised handle, both dating from the 3rd–2nd centuries BCE. A set of handmade ceramics produced in Menorca—yet inspired by imported Mediterranean forms—was also found beneath the floor of an adjoining room. This context suggests a possible foundation ritual and offers fresh insight into the ceremonial practices of the period, while pointing to wider Mediterranean connections.
An €18,000 contribution from the Consell Insular
The excavation and restoration campaign at the Sant Agustí Vell site, carried out throughout the month of November, has received the support of the Consell Insular de Menorca through the Talayotic Menorca Agency.
Councillor Joan Pons Torres stated: “The Consell Insular is proud to collaborate with the archaeological team at Sant Agustí Vell. Their research is providing essential insights into the function and uses of the talayots, a key aspect for understanding how Talayotic communities lived.” He added that “this is one of the objectives of the Talayotic Menorca Agency and one of the challenges highlighted by UNESCO: to deepen our understanding of how talayots were used.”
Pons Torres also explained that the Consell Insular has allocated €18,000 to the archaeological team working at Sant Agustí Vell, the maximum amount permitted under the current funding scheme. He went on to emphasise that “in the 2026 budget we have increased the funding for historical heritage research and restoration to €500,000. This level of investment is unprecedented and has been made possible thanks to the approved budget, reaffirming our commitment to Talayoric Menorca and to the island’s historical heritage.”
The project also benefits from the collaboration of the Es Migjorn Gran Town Council, the Associació Cultural Recreativa Es Migjorn Gran and the ASMAR Catalina Mercadal Foundation.