The initiative includes projects by universities, town councils and private individuals that will promote studies on the chronology and practices of the past.
The Consell de Mallorca is subsidising a total of 10 archaeological research projects over three years with a total of 692,415 euros. The aim is to promote scientific archaeological research on the island and contribute to the conservation and maintenance of the island’s historical heritage.
The vice-president of the Consell de Mallorca and councillor of Culture and Heritage, Antònia Roca, explained that the selected projects contemplate different lines of research, including the analysis of ancient structures, studies of chronology and functionality, and studies on past fauna and flora. The subsidy will be distributed as follows: 140,641 euros in 2024, 276,889 euros in 2025 and 274,885 euros in 2026.
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The Consell de Mallorca subsidises a total of 10 archaeological research projects over three years with almost 700,000 euros
The grant programme includes projects promoted by universities, research centres, town councils and other entities. ‘This diversity reflects the richness and transversality of archaeology as a fundamental discipline for society,’ says Roca. He also stresses that ‘with this initiative, we reaffirm our commitment to the preservation of Mallorca’s cultural heritage and support researchers who contribute to the understanding of the island’s history and identity’.
It is important to note that in 2024 the Consell de Mallorca has allocated a total of 565,000 euros to seven municipalities on the island to acquire archaeological sites: Manacor, Alcúdia, Petra, Selva, Santa Margalida, Llubí and Sencelles will thus be able to incorporate spaces of great historical and cultural value into their public heritage.
Visit to the Es Turassot archaeological site
The Vice President of the Consell de Mallorca and Councillor of Culture and Heritage, Antònia Roca, visited the Es Turassot site in Costitx, along with the Mayor of Costitx, Antoni Salas, one of the subsidised projects that received the highest scores for its quality, suitability and technical, temporal and economic viability.
In this navetas settlement, the council will carry out excavations to analyse the domestic and economic practices of the period, as well as the chronology and functionality of its structures. Roca stresses that ‘this project will provide a better understanding of the spatial organisation, economic activities and cultural changes in the settlements of the Pla de Mallorca, which will contribute to scientific knowledge and the dissemination of the island’s archaeological heritage’.
Salas stresses that ‘the navetas settlement of Es Turassot is a unique opportunity to enhance the historical heritage of Costitx, as it is an exceptional testimony to understanding how the communities of the Pla de Mallorca lived and interacted millennia ago’.
Beneficiaries
The beneficiaries of these 10 projects are universities and research centres, local councils and individuals. Specifically, the beneficiary universities and research centres are the UIB, which will carry out two studies: one on the Indigenous communities of Mallorca during the Iron Age and another on the Closos de Can Gaià and its surroundings; the IMEDEA, which will study the chronology and functionality of Mallorcan sanctuaries; the Instituto de Ciencias del Patrimonio-CSIC, which will carry out an interdisciplinary research project on the exploitation and use of copper in the prehistory of Mallorca; the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP), which will study the island’s early ecosystems; and finally, the University of Valencia, which will re-excavate the Sec shipwreck to understand commercial and technological aspects.
As for local councils, the beneficiaries are Costitx Town Council, which will carry out the excavation and study of the set of navetas of Es Turassot, from the Talayotic period, to analyse domestic and economic practices; Montuïri Town Council, which will investigate the transformations of the Son Fornés settlement after the Talayotic period; and Santanyí Town Council, which will carry out a study on fortifications and social changes in Mallorcan settlements in the Second Iron Age.
Finally, as far as private individuals are concerned, there is only one beneficiary: the Sóller Botanical Garden Foundation – Balearic Museum of Natural Sciences, which will carry out a study on fauna and flora linked to extreme climatic periods in the Mediterranean.