Gateway to an ancient world found in Calviá

By Lois Jones A TEAM of archaeologists has located a cave that has been shut off from the world for 2'200 years at a burial site in Son Ferrer, in Calviá. The Town Council confirmed yesterday that the find will unearth “invaluable information about life and death rituals of the era”. The discovery was made during excavation and restoration works being carried out on the burial mound. The project, launched in the archaeology park at Puig de Sa Morisca, was being funded by the European Union and local government. Initial information emerging from the breakthrough suggests a cave dating from the 2nd century before Christ, with two chambers of approximately 10.5 metres in length by 2 metres wide. The first impression is that the chambers were man-made, hewn out of the sandstone rock. The Town Council added that the nature of the construction appears to have its origin in a society active on the island between 1700 and 1110 before Christ, although it would seem that latter use made of the cave dates from a later period, almost certainly the end of the talaiot (500-200 B.C.). Up until now, no excavations had been made in the interior of the cave as appropriate structural and investigative support was being awaited from local government.