|
|
| |
Megaliths. Talaiots and Taules.
It seems that the building of these structures began about 1300
AC. and continued until the arrival of the Romans. There are so
many of them that hundreds of sites teeming with archaeological
interest are found on Minorca.
Even the most casual visitor cannot ignore there presence, as,
no matter where you go, many of them can be seen from the road.
Talaiots, taules, walls of defence built of gigantic stones around
prehistoric villages, navetas or burial chambers, pillared naves...
all of a variety and abundance that have given rise to the most
esoteric and picturesque theories on the original in habitants of
Minorca.
At Wind Fornells we’re really expert at teaching sailing,
not archaeology, so we’ll stick to pointing out where the
most important remains are and give a couple of brief descriptions
of the major types of construction. The pillared naves are generally
oval in shape and covered with large stone slabs. The navetas look
like the inverted hull of a ship, hence their name, and seem to
have been funeral chambers. The most characteristic structures on
Minorca are the talaiots and taules.
|
| |
Talaiots
These are great tower shaped stone constructions of up to 8 metres
in height and an average diameter of about 15 metres. The most sophisticated
have rooms surrounding a central stone column. Noteworthy are the
ones at Sant Agustí Vell, in Migjorn; Torrelló and
Trepucó -this last having a base diameter of almost 26 m
- in Mahon and Alaior, and also in Alaior, the taliots of Torralba
d'en Salord and Torre d'en Gaumés. Near Ciutadella we find,
Torrellafuda, Santa Mònica, again in Migjorn, and Son Catlar.
|
 |
| |
 Taules
These were temple structures and are shaped like an enormous "T"
made of gigantic rectangular stone slabs. The most remarkable are
found at Torre Trencada, Talatí de Dalt -this one unique because
of the slab diagonally supporting the upright stone - Torrellissá
Nou, Trepucó, and the site at Torralba d'en Salord, whose enormous
upright is buried to the depth of two metres.
This is necessarily exceedingly brief because there are hundreds
of megaliths in Minorca and this is a Windsurf and Sailing Website,
so I'm sure you'll understand. Two last points of interest.
The Torre d'en Gaumés is the
largest prehistoric village to be found in the Balearic Islands.
It boasts three striking talaiots surrounded by a defensive wall,
pillared naves and a taula whose cross-piece lies on the ground
next to the upright. Nearby is a dolmenic burial chamber, Ses Roques
Llises. This village is found to the south of Alaior, between the
village and beach at Son Bou, the longest on Minorca.
The Naveta dels Tudons is the most well
known monument on Minorca, and is the cathedral of prehistoric monuments.
Two stories high, it is 13.5 m. long and 6.4m wide. The apses remind
one of a ship's bows and the simile of an upturned boat fits perfectly.
It is generally accepted that the navetas were funereal structures,
but the legends surrounding them are legion. The Naveta d'es Tudons
is just outside Ciutadella, on the left coming from Mahon and it's
a good idea to go at daybreak, when you can enjoy the atmosphere
of peace and quiet the contemplation of this outstanding monument
deserves.
Caves
I'll briefly mention the caves, mostly dotted around the southern
part of Minorca. These were the first dwellings and date from 2,000
AC. Some still have their natural chimneys. The most famous caves
are found at Calas Coves, used by the Romans as a religious centre,
but there are more: Cala Morell on the North Coast, Macarella, Alcaufar...There
are also burial caves with vertical graves at Cala en Forcat.
|
|
