2,500-year-old human remains found in Mallorca’s necropolis of Son Real

Archaeologists and anthropologists currently working in the necropolis of Son Real (municipality of Santa Margalida, Balearic Islands) have unearthed human remains some 2,500-year-old in the area of Punta dels Fenicis.

Credit: Pep Córcoles/Diario de Mallorca

The importance of this discovery lies in the fact that this site continues to give surprises of this calibre since the modern phase of excavations began 20 years ago, in 1998.

In the 1960s, when the site was first discovered, a total of 106 tombs were documented and excavated. The work then lasted five years.

Credit: Pep Córcoles/Diario de Mallorca

In the last 20 years, it has hosted a total of 16 campaigns of about fifteen days each and the result has been 33 excavated tombs, and which continue to appear.

Jordi Hernández, who is directing the excavations said he was very satisfied with the result of the campaign. He also explained that in addition to the excavated tomb there are two more that have been located and whose excavation will begin shortly.

Credit: Pep Córcoles/Diario de Mallorca

The remains that have been found in the recently excavated tomb belong to a male adult, according to the anthropologist Francisca Cardona. The specialist explained that they were in the right lateral decubitus (fetal) position.

At the time of burial the man's body was wrapped in a shroud. Some metal fragments have even found, in very poor condition, which are believed to be some kind of pin or brooch (fibula) that held the shroud.

Credit: Pep Córcoles/Diario de Mallorca

This burial site and the other two that will be excavated are located at the tip of the site's northern sector. "This is the last area with real potential to yield more remains," says Hernández.

The earliest indications of the necropolis stretch back to the 7th century BC, when the Talayotic culture had been underway for several centuries and the use of iron was spreading.