Torre d'en Galmés Talayotic Settlement

Torre d’en Galmés is the largest settlement in Menorca. Its hilltop location made it the ideal spot for keeping watch over the land on most of the island's south coast. In chronological terms, it was occupied from the Naviforme period (1700-1400 BCE), and you can still see an underground chamber from this period near the area where water was collected, right through until the late Roman era, although some remains have been found from the Islamic era (12th century AD). 

The site consists of a public area, with three talaiots (1000-700 BCE) standing on top of the hill, plus the taula enclosure next to the middle talaiot, dating from the post-Talayotic period (650-123 BCE). The capital of this taula was re-used as a tombstone in the late Roman or medieval period. An archaeological dig carried out in 1974 unearthed a bronze Egyptian figure of the god Imhotep, now displayed in the Museum of Menorca together with other ritual objects found on the site. The figure was most likely acquired between the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE.

On the south side of the hill are circular houses from the same period, with rooms separated by radial walls that converge on a central patio area with a water tank. On the side of each house are outbuildings that were used as storerooms or larders, and that still preserve the stone roofing slabs supported by pillars. The largest house is the one known as the “Círculo Cartailhac”, dating from the 2nd century B.C. and excavated in 2008. There is also a rainwater catchment system formed by cisterns or tanks of different sizes carved out of the rock. The whole settlement was probably enclosed by a perimeter wall that connected the houses to each other following an irregular layout.

References:

• menorca.es

Address

Camí de Sant Llorenç, Alaior, Spain

Details

Founded: 1700 BCE
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Spain