Amics del Museu de Menorca has presented the latest advances of the 2021 excavation campaign, the third in the northern part of the site. Since the 1990s, the association has carried out research tasks and promoted of the prehistory of Menorca at the Torre d'en Galmés site.
The intervention is co-directed by archaeologists Borja Corral, Antoni Ferrer and Carlos de Salort. The restoration tasks are carried out by the restorers-conservators Francisco Isbert and Cecilia Ligero. Students and graduates from different universities in Spain and volunteers from Menorca also participate in the project. Specifically this year, there are 20 students and graduates from Barcelona, ??Madrid, Seville and Almeria. Also, 19 volunteers from Menorca and two youngsters from the "Un estiu per crèixer" program. All the interventions are being carried out following the "recommendations for archaeological excavations in Menorca due to the Covid-19 health crisis".
The 2021 campaign is divided into two phases:
three weeks of excavation at the site between July 26 and August 13; and laboratory work until August 31 at the association's headquarters in Maó. The excavation project is centredaround a set of structures located in the northern part of the site, between two of the three talayots, which would surely be from the oldest occupation phase of the settlement.
Human remains and 34 loom weights
During this campaign, Amics have excavated levels of demolition of Structure 1 which is probably a domestic space with different rooms that were covered with a roof of clay and mud. The distribution of the rooms is slightly different from those that have been documented on the other houses excavated in the site.
In one of the rooms,
human remains have been found, specifically of an alophysus adult - with a skeleton that does not allow us to determine the sex as the indicator characters are not evident. Two radiocarbon datings of this skeleton allowed us to place its
death around the III century BC. Also very interesting is the fact that the bones of the individual, after a while, were gathered and piled up. The skeleton was covered by a layer of debris, so it seems that when it was placed there, the house had not yet fully collapsed. The individual was also placed on a small level of fallen stones, so the house was probably already abandoned when these human remains were deposited. In the same room as the skeleton, a set of
34 loom weights has also been found, in particular amphora handles reused as loom weights.
This project is possible thanks to the financing of the Consell Insular de Menorca, the Alaior City Council and the members of the Amics del Museu de Menorca association. It has the scientific support of Boston University, the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage of Belgium, the Higher School of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Properties of Catalonia, the surveying company TANIT SL. The City Council of Maó, the Fundació Foment del Turisme de Menorca, the Museu de Menorca, INJOVE, Menorca Photo, La Paella prepared meals, Ornaque signs, and the Menorca School Council participate during the month of August with the program “Un estiu per créixer “.
On August 19 at 7 p.m. there is a Visiting day to explain how the 2021 campaign went.