Monuments in Menorca. Mysterious, ancient stone structures in Menorca.
Menorca is a very mysterious and enigmatic island. At one point, we travelled halfway around the world, visiting mysterious stone structures that appeared thousands of years ago all over Europe and the world.
In the article below, I’ll tell you about the attractions of this small island, which is dotted with ancient buildings and ruins of mysterious temples. I hope this will encourage you to visit this beautiful island, somewhat overshadowed by its neighbouring Mallorca.
Monuments in Menorca, stone circles and other ancient structures on Menorca island
We visited many places, from stone circles in Odry in Kashubia to the extraordinary Stonehenge and Avebury in Western England. All these places are marked by one great mystery: why did people in ancient times devote so much energy and resources to building something like this?
It’s then that we recall that for hundreds of years, we’ve been building great cathedrals, which, when unearthed in a few millennia, will evoke similar astonishment.
It was a big surprise for us when, wandering through the Balearic archipelago, we came across similar, mysterious, stone structures standing on the small island of Menorca. As we managed to find out, Spanish archaeologists studying the stone buildings of Menorca still cannot explain not only their purpose but also their origin.
The construction of megaliths in Menorca is attributed to the first people who arrived at the surrounding islands over 4,000 years ago. This would sound quite logical, but according to other scientists, these people were technically incapable of designing and building such complicated and powerful projects.
Monuments in Menorca and mysterious stone structures
The island of Menorca is rather small, as its area is just under 700 square kilometres. The island is 50 kilometres long and 16 kilometres wide. It is therefore surprising that on such a small surface area, over 2,000 various types of stone structures have survived to this day.
The largest ones are divided into three different types, depending on their construction.
- Navetas – These are stone mounds with chambers inside. It is believed that they served as tombs. In one of these structures, over 100 human remains were found. Of course, it is unknown whether they were built for this purpose or if later inhabitants of the island adapted the structures for their needs. The largest and most popular naveta on the island is Naveta d’Es Tudons.
- Talayots – The most commonly found structures in Menorca. They resemble piles of stones arranged in large heaps, but they are hollow inside. Scientists claim that they were used as storage facilities. They usually measure over 10 meters in circumference.
- Taulas – These are the most mysterious structures on the island. In the Catalan language, their name means table or altar. They consist of two rectangular-shaped stone blocks placed one on top of the other, forming the letter T. The largest of the taulas, Torralba d’en Salord, is over 5 meters high and weighs 25 tons. For the non-technical peoples who inhabited these areas, the construction of such enormous megaliths, according to many, was beyond their capabilities.
Navetas and talayots are found in many countries around the Mediterranean Basin. However, the stone taulas are unique. The closest similar structures were discovered in Turkey during research on the oldest stone ruins created by humans. Their age is estimated to be over 10,000 years old.
Is it possible, then, that when people settled in the Balearic Islands 4,000 years ago, these great and mysterious megaliths were already waiting for them?
Stone buildings in Menorca remain a mystery
We don’t know, just as we don’t know what they were meant for. There are many theories, ranging from quite earthly ones, suggesting that the stone structures in Majorca served religious or burial purposes. There are other voices telling stories about great ancient builders responsible not only for the constructions in Menorca but also those in Turkey, South America, or even Egypt.
The most radical theories discuss incredibly accurate calendars that could predict many cyclically recurring events, such as solar or lunar eclipses. There are also those who speak of the extraterrestrial origin of the constructions, but that belongs to the realm of legends and myths, for which Michał is responsible, and I’ll leave that topic to him.
When you’re having fun on Majorca or Ibiza, please keep in mind that there’s an island full of mysteries nearby, and perhaps it will be you who stumbles upon their solution.
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