Menorca - Pre History
Introduction
A laymans introduction for the Holidaymaker. There is a wealth of information and much more knowlegeable comment available - see below for further information links. Settlements can be traced back to the Bronze Age, 2000 B.C. There were little or no building materials on the island besides stone so people took adavantge of the soft rock and took shelter inside it ( caves ) or under stone roofs. Pre-history, art was represented in mysterious constructions.
Trips into the past. There are so many stone structures from Menorca's rich past its difficult sometimes literally not to trip over them and you don t have to be a historian to appreciate them. At some of the sites you get a real sense of life in its most primitive form. A few short years ago many of the sites were completely open, now some 30 or so have been made more accessible to the public complete with guide information and signange but charge a moderate entrance fee to cover personal and upkeep costs. But well worth it. Oh and make sure "little Johnny" does not scramble over the stones that have survived many, many years pre Johnny times :-)
Menorca Tip
Visit late afternoons when the light is best and heat of the day is over. They may have shut up the ticket office but you can still go in and visit . Visiting on Sunday is generally free of charge.
Timeline
pre 1400 BC
Construction of burial monuments such as megalithic tombs and the collective tombs known as navetas. Navetas which are unique to Menorca and the most well known of which is Navets des Tudons ( 4 meters high, 14m long and 6.4m wide ) which can be visited just outside Ciutadella. Built from huge stone blocks they resemble an upturned boat from which the name derives. They have a doorway into a burial chamber where along with the bodies of the dead offerings such as bronze or china figures were left.
1400 BC
By 1400 B.C. large stone constructions known as talayots (defensive structures) were being built. Hence this period is referred to as The Talayotic Period. At this time there was also a development of large settlements like Torre d'en Galmès , Torre den Salord, Trepucó and Son Catlar. Each settlement had a single taula ( T shaped stone ) thought to be a monument of worship but still today much debated. As you can see below these taulas are quite something. The tallest of which stands at 4m in at Trepucò.
A Taula is made from two carefully cut stone slabs with one balanced on top of the other. The T-shaped structures were sometimes fixed together with a mortise and tenon joint and still defy gravity to this day.
Taula den Torralba den Salord (Alaior)
A Talayot is large tower built for observation using dry-stone walling techniques. Talayots (the local word for 'watch-towers') were constructed in various styles : circular, square, and also stepped forms.
All these things are best seen in pictures rather than words so enjoy our photo collection.