User:Mariatb1

Pretalayotic period

Traditionally, the term "Pre-Talayotic period" refers to the earliest cultural phases of prehistoric society in the Balearic Islands (Spain). The designation "Pre-Talayotic" is based solely on its chronological position relative to the more prominent Talayotic cultural expression in the islands' prehistory. Today, researchers no longer use this term, as it is considered a catch-all category encompassing both the Chalcolithic phase and the Naviform phase within the Iron Age (c. 1500–850 cal BC). It would thus correspond to the period between the establishment of the first human communities, around the 3rd millennium BC, and the emergence of the Talayotic culture, between the end of the 2nd millennium BC and the beginning of the 1st millennium BC.

The first settlers

Most current archaeologists specializing in the prehistory of the Balearic Islands consider it likely that humans first arrived on the islands sometime during the third millennium BC, although until the late 20th century, it was believed that this date went back to the 5th or 6th millennia BC.

Recent studies have once again pushed these dates further back, making it clear that there is evidence of human presence in the "Abrigo de Son Matge" around 4800 BC and some human remains in the "Muleta Cave" dating to approximately 4000 BC.

It is generally considered most likely that the first settlers of the islands belonged to the Copper Age (also called the Chalcolithic or Eneolithic) and came from somewhere along the western Mediterranean coastal arc, between the eastern Iberian Peninsula and northwestern Italy. Some researchers specifically suggest that the most probable area of origin for the first colonists is the Gulf of Lion. Others propose that the first settlers may have come from North Africa, although this migratory movement predates the Neolithic and is therefore much earlier than the Chalcolithic. However, this issue remains unresolved.

Another consideration regarding the first settlers is that, since the island of Ibiza is visible from the mainland, Mallorca is visible from Ibiza, and Menorca from Mallorca, it is possible that before permanently settling on the islands, future inhabitants may have spent generations exploiting the islands’ resources on a seasonal basis. Some studies suggest that various bands of hunter-gatherers may have visited the islands during the summer to gather and preserve food. However, the idea that the first islanders belonged to an earlier Neolithic phase has largely been dismissed today.

The earliest phases of prehistoric life on the islands remain poorly understood, mainly due to the scarcity of archaeological remains from that time. It is known that the first settlers practiced livestock farming and agriculture, as evidenced by the presence of bones from domesticated species (sheep, goats, pigs, and cattle), which did not exist on the islands prior to human arrival. Agriculture is confirmed by the abundance of flint sickles found near the oldest known sites.

Some researchers accept that humans coexisted with the Myotragus balearicus, as evidenced at the Son Matge site, where coprolites and bones were found, suggesting not only the presence of dead animals but possibly penned ones. It is quite likely that human development in the islands was closely linked to the extinction of this species—either due to overexploitation or competition from the domestic animals (especially goats) introduced by humans. However, other archaeologists entirely reject this view, asserting that the species disappeared long before human arrival due to environmental causes.

At some point after the arrival of the first settlers, the Balearic Islands became part of the megalithic —marked by the appearance of dolmens and decorative incised pottery that spread across much of western Europe. It is currently not possible to determine whether these new cultural expressions were introduced by new waves of settlers or through influences brought by ongoing trade between the islands and the mainland.

Naviforme Room I of Closos de Can Gaià (Felanich, Mallorca)

These cultural manifestations already belong to the Early Bronze Age, and the continuity of external trade is evidenced by the fact that bronze production requires both copper and tin—of which the latter is not found in the archipelago.

Economy and society

Regarding domestic contexts from this early period, circular-plan huts have been documented in Mallorca, as well as elongated structures built using cyclopean techniques, which are linked to the naviform or naveta dwellings that appear in large numbers from around 1600 BC onward. From this point, a notable cultural homogeneity emerges, especially in domestic architecture, between Mallorca and Menorca.

Naveta of Cala Morell (Ciutadella, Menorca)

These were large, elongated horseshoe-shaped houses built with stone, known as naviform or naveta dwellings due to their resemblance to a ship’s hull. The stones formed the walls of the houses, carefully placed and fitted together so that the largest stones—often massive—were positioned at the bottom, while smaller ones were laid above (see photo). All of this was done without the use of cement or mortar, a construction method known as cyclopean technique, which is distinct from the megalithic technique used in dolmens.

The typical dimensions of naviform or naveta dwellings were about eight meters wide and between fifteen and twenty meters long. However, due to the considerable thickness of their walls—ranging from two to three meters—the usable space inside the central chamber was significantly smaller. Almost none of these structures have preserved their original roofs, but it is generally believed that they most commonly had roofs (whether flat or gabled remains uncertain) made of thick branches used as beams, covered with foliage, leaves, and clay. This has been documented through archaeological excavations at the site of Closos de Can Gaià (Mallorca). The only preserved roof, found in the naveta dwelling of Son Mercer de Baix (Ferreries, Menorca), is made of stone slabs, although this is not thought to have been the most common roofing method.

From the mid-2nd millennium BC onward, the Pre-Talayotic period is characterized by the presence of small, apparently egalitarian population centers, with naveta dwellings serving as the typical domestic unit and an economy based on agriculture and livestock farming. These were generally very small settlements—sometimes even isolated houses—but there is also evidence of larger communities with defensive walls, such as Cala Morell settlement in Menorca. Toward the end of the second millennium BC, changes in settlement patterns become evident: there is a greater concentration of population, signs of internal spatial hierarchization within some villages, an increase in bronze tools and weapons, and changes in ceramic production techniques. A slight increase in the presence of imported materials is also noted, although the islands remained a peripheral zone within the trade networks of the time.

Bone Punch with Metal Tip from the Naveta de Binipati (Ciutadella, Menorca)

The economy was based on the household unit: each dwelling could accommodate a self-sufficient group in which members of different ages and genders had clearly defined productive roles. The agriculture practiced up to that point—focused on cereals and possibly some legumes—became increasingly unsustainable, as the inhabitants did not know how to use the plough. Instead, they burned forests and sowed crops in the ashes, a method that is highly destructive to the land. This led to a widespread shift toward livestock herding, as demonstrated by the scarcity of agricultural pollen in the later phases of the Balearic Bronze Age, according to recent pollen analysis from archaeological excavations. The low incidence of dental caries in the skeletal remains from the time also indicates a diet very low in plant-based foods.

The diet, based almost exclusively on animal protein, was a key factor in the widespread economic crisis of the Balearic Bronze Age. Land devoted to pasture is less productive than land used for agriculture, and as demographic pressure increased on limited and poorly utilized territory, the traditional way of life gradually began to break down, with understandable episodes of internal conflict.

This social and economic disintegration unfolded over several centuries and, around the transition from the second to the first millennium BC, gave rise to more hierarchical social structures, such as chiefdoms. These emerging social strata are reflected in the proliferation of large stone monuments, such as the proto-Talayotic tumuli from the late second millennium BC. This process ultimately led, in the first quarter of the first millennium BC—already within the Iron Age—to the height of Talayotic culture, characterized by the abundance and variety of large monuments, defensive walls, talayots, and other structures .

Until the 1990s, the prevailing theory held that the shift from the Naviform society to Talayotic culture was due to external agents (the arrival of other settlers) and that the onset of Talayotic culture coincided with the disturbances of the "Sea Peoples" in the Eastern Mediterranean around the 13th century BC. However, this interpretation is now completely outdated.

Regarding funerary practices, these were varied, but almost always linked to caves. The few dolmens that have been preserved show signs of continued use, at least throughout the first half of the second millennium BC. There are also known burials in cists, in natural caves, in modified natural caves, and in hypogeums—artificially excavated caves in rock. Hypogeums from all periods exist in the Gymnesian Islands, with those from the Bronze Age being particularly abundant, especially in Mallorca. Some of the most clearly associated with the Bronze Age, the so-called "elongated-plan" hypogeums, are remarkably well-crafted and beautiful (see photo), featuring an antechamber, lateral chambers, and other distinguishing characteristics. Several dolmens, paradolmens, and hypogeums from this period have been excavated in both Menorca and Mallorca.

"Pre-Talayotic cultures" also existed in the Pityusic Islands, in their various manifestations: a dolmen is known to exist in Formentera, as well as Bronze Age settlements in both Ibiza and Formentera. However, Talayotic culture was never reached on these islands, for reasons that remain unknown. Two possibilities are considered: the extinction of the original settlers, or that the crisis faced by the Gymnesian Islands did not occur in the Pityusic Islands, as the Phoenician visits began in the 8th century BC and ultimately led to the foundation of the Punic colony of Ibussim (or Ebussus in its Latin name).

Menorca Talayótica: A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Menorca Talayótica is a site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023. It consists of a series of archaeological sites that testify to an exceptional prehistoric island culture, characterized by unique cyclopean architecture. The island preserves exclusive monuments such as funerary navetas, circular houses, taula sanctuaries, and talayots, all of which are in perfect harmony with the Menorcan landscape and its connection to the sky.

Menorca boasts one of the richest archaeological landscapes in the world, shaped by generations that have preserved the Talayotic heritage. It holds the highest density of prehistoric sites per square kilometer on any island and is a symbol of the island’s identity.

The site is divided into nine areas, covering both archaeological sites and associated landscapes, with a chronology spanning from the appearance of cyclopean constructions around 1600 BC to Romanization in 123 BC. The exceptional value of its monuments and landscapes led to its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023.

Settlments

Es Castellet des Pop Mosquer

See also

• Pre-talayotic period
• Pre-Talayotic period in Menorca
• Talayotic period in Menorca
• Talayot
• Naveta
• Taula
• Post-Talayotic period
• Balearic slinger
• Post-Talayotic dwelling circle
• Mars Balearicus
• Prehistoric pottery of Menorca
• Talayotic settlement
• Talayotic hypostyle hall
• Romanization of Menorca
• Cyclopean construction