2 son fred talaiot

sencelles talaiotic era

(900-550 a.c.)

From 900 b.c. The people moved from the navetas villages to the Talaiotic villages.

The principal characteristic of the talaiotic villages was that the houses were constructed around a central tower which was called a talaiot.

The talaiot is a circular structure like Son Fred, Binifat, Son Company, Es Fornàs de Son Jordà in Ruberts. The talaiots can also be found in a square formation, for example in Cas Canar, in Es Velar de Sa Coma, Can Florit, o Sa Atalaia.

The talaiots were used for public meetings, political and economic debates. The livestock and surrounding areas could be seen and protected from the high walls of the talaiot. In same cases outside the main village, talaiot were built as watch towers to protect the grazing livestock.

Some writers like J. Aramburu-Zabala, saw these structures as ceremonial centres like the talaiot in Cas Canar, until the end of this period the inhabitants survived on livestock and vegetables. The consumption of cereal and pulse is well documented in Son Fred and Cas Canar.

However, still do not know the relevance of plant domestication. Among the most significant innovations in iron metallurgy appears. The funeral ceremonies of this period are in a mystery. There is no archeological evidence. Some writer perceive the talaiots as a society where inequality prevailed, others believed the opposite because of the distribution of houses and collective work demonstrating co-operation.

talaiots of mallorca

The talaiots are only found in Menorca and Mallorca. Those in Menorca are bigger and are constructed in a circular form with solid walls and small interior.

Regardless of whether they are circular or square, the talaiot was just one room with a big column in the centre (polilithic column).The entrance is very small and the roof is made with branches, clay and tales sitting on top of timber beams. Sometimes like in S'hospitalet Vell, the tiles were made of stone.

There are some exceptions, like the square talaiot in Capocorb Vell, which has two floors.

The Talaiot Son Forners in Montuiri, which has a diameter of 17mtrs and the square talaiot in Sa Atalaia, each side is 15 mtrs long. These are the biggest talaiot in Mallorca. Although 500 talaiots have been found in Mallorca, only 14 have been excavated.