Talayotic settlement of Torre d’en Galmés

The structures that are currently visible were erected during the Talayotic period (from approximately 1000 BC).
A visit to the site begins at the top of the settlement, and the first monument we come across is circle 2, a circular Talayotic dwelling with a central courtyard and a cistern. Continuing our route, just behind circle 2 is circle 3, of which only half is still standing. Next to this, we find an extensive area with no remains of structures, which may therefore be interpreted as a public square found among the settlement’s homes.
At the summit, we find three talayots lined up from east to west. The word “talaiot” comes from another, “talaia”, which means lookout tower in Catalan, although at present, despite the fact that they were perhaps used occasionally for this purpose, their exact function in unclear. They were likely built with other uses in mind, like as a territorial landmark or a symbol of power. Little is truly known regarding these talayots, as they have not yet undergone archaeological intervention.
 
The middle talayot, the largest in the settlement, was at some undetermined point partially dismantled, allowing for the observation of the construction technique used, based on overlapping concentric walls. Looking southward from the talayot, we see a taula enclosure that was in use during the Late Talayotic period. It is apsidal in shape with a slightly concave façade and double-sided cyclopean walls, surrounded by side pilasters attached to the interior. The vertical stone of the very taula is partly broken and the capital stone lies fallen before it.
 
It is in this enclosure where the most spectacular discovery of the entire site was made: an Egyptian bronze figurine that measures 15 cm in length and represents Imhotep, the Egyptian god of medicine. This object serves as proof that influences from faraway cultures reached the island of Menorca during the Late Talayotic period and that Menorcans of the time were capable of incorporating new elements into their system of beliefs.
Just across the path from the taula enclosure, we can observe a Talayotic dwelling with a central courtyard and excavated interior. It follows the same pattern as the circular dwellings with its southward facing entrance and central courtyard with a hearth. Noteworthy is the presence of a silo at the centre of the construction, used by the inhabitants of the house for storage, perhaps a cistern for year-round water storage.
 
Following the central path and heading down toward the settlement’s southern section, we find another path to our left that leads to two caves. The first is a burial cave from the Talayotic period, although the anthropomorphic tombs dug out from the earth likely belong to the late Roman period. The second cave, known as the “oil cave”, was most likely originally a burial hypogeum from the Early Talayotic period, although in medieval times it was used as an olive press. Still visible inside the cave today are the remains of the press that was used to smash the olives.
 
At the end of this path, in the southern section of the settlement, we find a group of structures that include circles 6 and 7, as well as a hypostyle hall, all known as the “Flaquer enclosure”, as it was excavated, along with part of the taula enclosure, by Joan Flaquer in the early 1940s.
The rear section of the covered enclosure, known also as a hypostyle hall, is still in its original state, while the front portion was restored in 2004. Inside the Flaquer enclosure there are columns built from stone blocks that are narrower at the base than at the capital (known as Mediterranean columns). The structure is covered by stone slabs that are rectangular in shape and not especially thick. The entire outfit was likely covered with soil and vegetation for waterproofing.
 
The next area for visitation is the front courtyard of circle 6, which leads to the inside of the circle. This is a typical circular dwelling from the second phase of the Talayotic culture. At the centre of the house is a central courtyard, which was typically uncovered, and the different rooms of the dwelling were distributed around it. The eastern area seems to have been used for domestic tasks (metallic and food processing items have been discovered here), and at the western end are three small rooms used perhaps for storage or domestic purposes. The room found to the northwest was used for sleep and rest, with the discovery of an elevated structure built from the very parent rock found here (interpreted as a bed), and a fire pit to provide the room with light and heat.
To visit circle 7, we must head to the western sector of the complex, where we find an entrance to a second dwelling. Noteworthy is the presence of a silo just beside the entrance. It may have been used to store the water that came from the central courtyard of circle 7.
 
We first notice the building’s monumental entrance, made up of monolithic jambs and a lintel. A short corridor leads to the dwelling’s central patio. The rooms are distributed around the patio following a pattern that is quite similar to other known structures. The peculiarity of this dwelling lies in the fact that it was abandoned very suddenly and its inhabitants did not have time to collect their personal belongings. This situation allowed for the discovery of their tools, receptacles and ornaments in their original position. Objects that are not typically found in such houses were found here, like the glass paste beads that were likely used in necklaces.
The most surprising finding from this circle involved the discovery of a number of human skeletons in the central courtyard. This circumstance is completely unprecedented, as no similar case has been documented. Anthropological study has revealed that the bodies were left outdoors in the very spot where they died for several weeks, as some show signs of teeth marks from carnivores. At a later time, their bones were collected and placed in foetal position with their skulls toward the south.
This exceptional incident, along with the sudden abandonment of the house, could be associated with the violent circumstances of the Second Punic War.
 
In the northeast section of the complex, there is another group made up of two dwellings, referred to as buildings 1 and 2. Both have undergone archaeological excavation and have provided both differentiated and interesting results in comparison with other structures of the settlement.
Building 1 is a typical Talayotic home, although interestingly only the exterior’s original shape has been conserved. The interior was fully reformed, first in Roman times, creating a large rectangular area and new rooms, and later, during the Islamic period, when the whole of the eastern and southern sections was altered, giving the inside a completely new appearance.
Building 2 is located just next to building 1, separated by a small corridor. In this case, the internal structure is better conserved in the western portion. Although it too underwent modifications in Roman times, the northwest room still preserves its original layout.
Between the western wall of circles 6 and 7 and the southern side of buildings 1 and 2, there is an area that constitutes a sort of public square where we can make out a group of different sized silos that were used for water catchment. There is a channelling system that interconnects the silos to siphon off water for purification.
The fact that in Menorca accessible water cannot be easily found year-round is highly relevant, as only in the small streams at the very bottoms of the ravines is it present, and Torre d’en Galmés is 1.5 km, as the crow flies, from the closest ravine, in Cala en Porter. Furthermore, digging wells was extremely challenging, as groundwater is most often found at significant depths. For this reason, the inhabitants of Torre d’en Galmés collected rainwater for their own consumption as well as that of their livestock.
 
Continuing along the marked path to the west, we reach the so-called “Cartailhac Circle”, a circular dwelling with a central courtyard, a covered enclosure and a large front courtyard. It is one of the most well-preserved examples of a Post-Talayotic dwelling in all of Menorca. It bears the name Cartailhac because it was first described and outlined by the French archaeologist É. Cartailhac, who at the end of the 19th century, came to the Balearic Islands to study prehistoric monuments. He is perhaps one of the first scientists to publish data on this subject.
Access to this complex is through a lintelled doorway, which leads to a corridor that was originally covered. From here, we move on to the large front courtyard made up of a number of different smaller areas, where an oven may catch our attention. Bronze hooks were found quite close by, which may evidence the fact that in this period the exploitation of marine resources was greater than in previous periods.
As is the case with other examples of this type of dwelling, the central courtyard provides access to the different rooms. Worthy of attention is the stonework on this structure. The dwelling’s façade in truly spectacular, composed of large monolithic blocks placed vertically upon a stone base, upon which lie two horizontal courses of large blocks. The details of the columns and the capital stones that delimit the courtyard are also highly precise. Dating information obtained during excavation has shown that this dwelling was built in the 3rd century BC, which explains the more perfected stone sculpting techniques. This is therefore in all likelihood one of the last buildings erected in the Torre d’en Galmés settlement.