Wednesday, September 18

We Stumble On A 3000 Year Old Settlement At S'Illot Mallorca

Talayot settlement S'Illot Mallorca
S'Illot Talayot Settlement
While in Mallorca over the past two weeks we stumbled over an ancient Talayot settlement (above) in the small coastal town of S'Illot. What fascinated me was that these remains were only  a short distance from what is now a popular tourist beach resort (below).

S'illot Mallorca
S'Illot Sea front, Mallorca
On an information board there was an artist's impression of how things may possibly have looked some 3000 years ago.

Talayot culture Mallorca
How things may once have looked at S'Illot
The settlement shows an indication that it was originally surrounded by a defensive wall of large slabs of limestone weighing more than a ton each (as below).

Walls surrounding Talayot settlement S'Illot Mallorca
Settlement Walls
This site at S'Illot was believed to have been occupied for more than a thousand years. The oldest remains date from the Bronze Age (1100-850 BC).

Talayot settlement of S'Illot Mallorca

Life in the Tayalot village or settlement was organised around communal or social areas made up of large buildings and simpler houses in which the people lived.

Each house had areas for sleeping and for preparing food around a hearth. The daily diet would have been goat, pig and ox meat supplemented with cereals and tubers - not quite my thing being a vegetarian!

Remains of Talayot village or settlement S'Illot

I think what surprised me was how the remains of this settlement are accessible to visitors to wander through with no apparent restrictions. Though in saying that, when we found them by chance there was no one else around. We had the place to ourselves while, a few minutes away, others were frolicking in the sea. But I guess a sandy beach and clear water is quite an attraction on a warm, sunny day. Must admit we did succumb to a bit of a swim ourselves!

S'Illot beach Mallorca
S'Illot Sea front Mallorca
We left the town of S'Illot and found a coastal path with some very nice scenery and big, interesting rocks. Sideways on this reminds me of some ancient face:

Strange rocks at S'Illot Mallorca

Coastal path S'Illot Mallorca
From S'Illot Coastal Path Mallorca 
Other Mallorca Posts:
A Travel Blackout To Cure And Improve Our Tomorrows
The Power Of Synchronicity In Mallorca

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2 comments:

  1. Wow, these photos are stunning! The ruins are intriguing. Are they protected in any way?

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    1. They are not really protected as they aren't fenced off - so there is nothing to stop anyone walking anywhere (and doing) whatever they want.

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