Do These Monuments Have A Meaning To Them?

Talayots are constructions that are made with big or middle sized stones. These structures look like a tower, more specifically a pyramid trunk or cone; they are 9′ high and have a variable measure for diameter or side. Scholars have found circular and square plan talayots. The circular version got a variation of the normal plans which included stairs. This was basically the same plan but they had changed the way of elevation with a series of rings that diminished the diameters.

The biggest Talayots get one or several columns in order to support its cover or the upper floors’ one of them got the novelty of presenting radial rooms around the central column.

Just on Menorca alone there are more than twelve villages with more than 250 Talayots can be found. This shows how importance these buildings are at their age. They date back to the late millennium and early first millennium BC. In Menorca they form a network batched together in various parts. So if you were staying at one of the Menorca Villas and travel around the island you may see one.

One of the most villages in Menorcan prehistory, the talayot village has preserved some spectacular monuments and amongst which are the two natural caves. These were possibly used for burials in a pre talayotic culture era, the central talayot which was on the highest point of the village functioned as a watch tower and controlled the territory and the sanctuary with a singular taula (which is a t shaped stone monument) This was possibly built in the V century. Talati de Dait preserves two more talayots as well that are situated in the perimeter of the old village, several talayot houses and a part of the wall that surrounded the area.

It appeared that a community of shepherds and farmers settled in Talat de Dalt in the second half of the third millennium BC but the village was built at the end of the second millennium before Christ till 123 BC, this was around the time when the Roman conquered Menorca,. From then the village entered into a decline, although it continued to be inhabited that was until the expulsion of the Moors in the XIII century.

To be honest Scholars could not find a clear function for them. They would belong to the perimetral wall of the village and they look like a watchtower at times. Sometimes they had a funerary function since many burials have been found inside them. Research actually pointed out that the theory that they just a way of showing how much money the local leaders had in other words they were showing off. They could have possibly been built for military purposes and then changed for civil functions. Another theory is that they were a part of the house of the most important families from the village. Their shape can also establish their function so circular was used as a defensive element and rectangular as a religious or funerary.