Puig des Molins

Ibiza, Spain

The Puig des Molins contains the Punic Necropolis, a medieval Islamic rural property, and an archaeological museum. It gets its name from the windmills (molins in Catalan) which have stood on the top of the hill since at least the 14th century. This place was chosen by the founders of the city of Ibiza, the Phoenicians, in the middle of the 7th century BC, to bury their dead. During Antiquity, this was the site where the urban necropolis was located.

Since 1903, several archaeological works have been carried out, which have provided a huge amount of Phoenician, Punic and Roman materials. The monographic museum is world class, especially due to its Phoenician-Punic archaeological collection. In 1931, the necropolis was declared Historical and Artistic Monument (a Spanish type of protection category for monuments at those times), which kept it safe, at least some of it, from the urban growth pressure that was starting to affect the city. Because of this, today, with its nearly 5 preserved hectares, it is the largest and most well-preserved Phoenician-Punic necropolis in the western Mediterranean basin.

Exhibitions of three civilisations are housed in the Archaeological Museum. The building is the setting for a display of artefacts left on the islands by three different peoples: Phoenicians, Punics, and Romans, including objects from the necropolis of Puig des Molins, whose burial chambers contained necklaces, bronze and lead tools, projectile weapons, amulets, and coins were found. Highlights include the collection of decorated ostrich eggs, and particularly a bust of the goddess Tanit, who has become a veritable symbol of Ibiza.

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Address

Via Romana 31, Ibiza, Spain
See all sites in Ibiza

Details

Founded: 7th century BCE
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Spain

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Hannah Lucas (2 months ago)
Amazing museum so full of artefacts and information, with really friendly staff. Incredible value seeing as it is free! Lots to learn, definitely worth a visit.
Ingo Mrosewski (3 months ago)
Great and interesting little museum and archaeological site with very friendly staff and a nice museum shop. My girlfriend and I enjoyed our visit a lot and can definitely recommend a visit to people interested in history or archeology. Admission is free. The museum uses audio-visual exhibits and all signs are available in Spanish and English.
C. Marion (5 months ago)
An awesome museum full of very interesting information about the history of burials on the island between the different civilizations throughout the years. And to top it off, it was free! Can't beat that. I would recommend 100%
Ho Li Yang (6 months ago)
A small museum with a surprising nice field trip to the necropolis! They even provided safety helmets, which were greatly appreciated. Free of charge was a bonus
Sydney Geissler (13 months ago)
This was such a great museum, the staff was so friendly and helpful, and it is free! After watching a short video covering the basic history of the island (available in multiple languages), you can go upstairs in the museum to see the artifacts recovered from the burial site and go outside to see the excavated grounds. It was very interesting to see 3 different eras and people buried in the same grave, with separate preparations from the era and culture and to go underground to see the layout of the graves as well as see the shafts from above. Very interesting check-in with history while in Ibiza
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