Water collection systems in the prehistory of Menorca: the Circle 6 cistern at Torre d’en Galmés

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

Human settlements during prehistoric and historic times on the island of Menorca have been linked to the easy access to water supplies. Therefore, most of the pre-Talayotic (2300-1200 BCE) and Talayotic (1200-123 BCE) communities are found concentrated along the Migjorn Miocene platform composed of limestone and calcarenite that covers the southern half of the island. Several structures have been documented that relate to underground water collection and rainwater harvesting and storage, i.e. wells, systems for canalization, filtering and storing water in cisterns, puddles and natural or artificial storage pits. As part of an archaeological project to study domestic spaces in the Talayotic settlement of Torre d’en Galmés, a large prehistoric cistern —fallen into disuse after the 7th and 8th century CE— was excavated in 2016. This find has allowed us to evaluate the several options for water collection used in the settlement, and to relate this structure to the known architectural characteristics of the houses during this period —3rd and 2nd centuries BCE— and to other prehistoric and historic structures on the island of Menorca.