Torre d'en Galmés

Torre d'en Galmés ( menorquinisch Torre d'en Gaumés ) was a settlement of talayotic culture in the south of the Spanish Balearic island of Menorca. The place is one of the largest archaeological sites in the Balearics. The time of maximum expansion of the settlement was around the year 1400 BC

Location

Torre the Galmés located 3.5 km south of Alaior on a hill, from which one can overlook a large part of the island. In prehistoric times, you could see from here a number of other Talayotic settlements, among which the Torre Galmés probably held a priority position.

The prehistory of Minorca

The prehistory of Minorca decays roughly in the pre-Talayotic and talaiotic period. The pre-Talayotic ends 1400 BC ( some dating to the end on 1200 BC ). In the settlements, there were stone huts that are named because of the design " Navetiformes ". Some of the dead were buried in natural caves in the rock walls of the menorcan canyons or rock-carved artificial caves or megaliths. Last buildings were used as tombs, which had the shape of an inverted ship's hull and are called " navetas ".

In Talayotic time there were a number of planned settlements. You can them in an area with Talayots and Taulen and identify a with circular buildings. The necropolis carved into the rock walls of the cliff or into the ravines. The talaiotic period ended in 123 BC with its conquest by the Romans. For several centuries the settlements and burial grounds were still used, its structure and equipment but was changed.

Description of the archaeological site

The settlement

The large population center spread over time from the south. Either the settlement is bounded by stone walls, or walls of buildings accomplish this task. The area of the three major Talayots and Taula is the central part of the settlement. Probably every stone had a cult function. The horseshoe-shaped area of ​​Taula undoubtedly served religious purposes, such as the excavation of Torralba d'en Salord showed.

The talayots

Talayots are the characteristic buildings of the prehistoric cultures in Menorca and Mallorca. They can be round or square. The minorcan talaiot usually resembles a massive tower with stone ramp. Although one also finds on Menorca Talayots with the interior, which is the case almost universally in Majorca, Menorca, the useful range was on the upper deck. The nowadays is generally destroyed. The Talayots can be found at sites from which one has the best view of the surrounding countryside. They named the Menorcans " Atalaia " ( watchtower ).

The Taula

Taulas there in Menorca. Today called " Taula " not only the stone table, but also the horseshoe-shaped area around it. In its center is a large upright stone with a horizontally lying far overhanging capital. The whole thing looks like a huge table, which is why the saying the object gave the name Taula, who became a scientific term. The Kapitellstein the Taula of the Torre Galmés is fallen down and is located between the input of Taulabereichs and the pillar. He was hollowed In historical times to a water trough. The range of Taula itself is very well preserved. Here you can perfectly see another element of taula large, amazingly smooth polished rock slabs that form the apse.

The Hypostylossaal

In the south of the settlement can be found, attached to the circular buildings, the " hypostyle " which means " Hall of Columns ". Spaces with unclear function got this name because of her formative building material. They have a roof made of flat smooth stones, based on mono- or polylithische columns. Hypostyloi are isolated there or are in talayotic settlements. The columns are formed in the ancient Mediterranean style, they are wider at the top than the bottom. Meanwhile, considerations have been given to whether the Taulas are not greatly enlarged Hypostyloi.

The round houses

The prototype of the buildings of the era talayotic is a circular building with double walls, the stones of the outer wall are larger than those of the inner wall. Inside the houses were divided by radially arranged walls that converged in a central courtyard where the hearth and carved into the rocky ground cistern were. In the Torre Galmes the mutually attached houses 2 and 3 are excavated. Here structural changes from the Roman period are on the inner walls determine. The stones are there smaller and approximately rectangular. For the construction of Building 1 is a natural cave and a gently sloping bedrock were used, which some interior walls reach a considerable height.

Water storage

Of particular interest is a collection system for rainwater in the southern area of the settlement. It is carved into the rock floor channels, can flow through the rain water in large, carved into the ground cisterns. As the water flowed down the hill and was dirty, stuffed with small stones excavations were dug between troughs and containers which probably served as a filter. A cave that had been used in prätalayotischer time as a burial ground, also served as a cistern.

History of Research

The Megalithsiedlung of Torre d'en Galmés has been known for centuries, excavations larger scale but were begun in the 1940s by J. Flaquer, a notary from Alaior. He concentrated his work in the field of Taula and the hypostyle hall in äüßersten south of the plant.

Further excavations were again until 1974-1984, after the Ministry of Culture had purchased the land. Under the supervision of the Museu de Menorca and the Museu de Mallorca several round houses were uncovered. In the area of ​​Taula they found a 15 cm large bronze figure of the ancient Egyptian Imhotep, which is now on display at Museu de Menorca.

At the invitation of the Island Council of Minorca ( Consell Insular de Menorca), who had made ​​the decision in 2000 to create an archaeological park to the public, led the Association of Friends of the Museu de Menorca since 2001, five excavation campaigns in the southern area of the plant. Also, archaeologists from the Boston University are active in this section.