Balearic prehistoric past being revealed

The international conference, World Islands in Prehistory 2001, is currently being held in Deya and the director of Deya's Archaeological Museum, William Waldren has this year found one of the most important prehistoric legacies near Valldemossa. In the Pla de Rei area Waldren, who has been excavating sites in the Tramuntana region of Majorca, and his team are excavating three sites in Son Ferrandell, Son Olesa and Son Mas where enough information is being gathered to enable archaeologists to recreate what prehistoric life in the Balearics was like. Waldren believes that the sites date back to between 2200 and 1750 years BC. On the sites area a number of funeral pyres and a large amount of ceramics have been found from the Bronze Age. Waldren believes that the site was once home to a clan or a family, but as yet no human remains have been uncovered. The Son Ferrandell site is one of the oldest finds in the Balearics. At the Son Mas dig, Waldren says that remains of a pre-Christian sanctuary have been unearthed and he believes that Son Mas may also have been home to some form of astronomical observatory. What Waldren hopes to do next is rebuild the sanctuary. He has already created a virtual reconstruction of the sanctuary and has asked the Council of Majorca to help with the financing of the project.