Major Muslim-era archaeological discovery in the Tramuntana

This was mentioned in the journal of local studies in Sóller and in late February this year the Council of Majorca's patrimony commission, together with the water company Emaya, authorised excavations by two archaeologists, Jaume Deyà and Pablo Galera which started last week. What they hope to reveal is the most important archaeological find in the Balearics for many years. The waters of the reservoir have turned up a Muslim settlement.

While other settlements in the mountains have been known about, awareness of that in Gorg Blau was only partially known about (remains had been found in the 1970s).

Shed light
Its scale, however, could well shed light on previously unknown aspects of the lives of the Moorish community which, it is perhaps sometimes forgotten, was forced into hiding in resisting the advances of Aragonese troops who invaded in the thirteenth century.

The first observations made by the archaeologists are encouraging, a new area, previously flooded, suggesting a walled sanctuary with various structures.

Deyà and Galera believe that there may well be others.
He says that the discoveries are spectacular, but his work is at present reliant on support from some businesses and private individuals, no governmental finance having been made available.

However, Fornalutx town hall is making available the Can Xoroi museum as a laboratory for excavated specimens.
Secrets
Deyà hopes that official financial assistance might yet be forthcoming in revealing the secrets of Gorg Blau which could comprise up to 60'000 square metres in area with the remains of pottery, housing, streets, a mosque and a burial site oriented towards Mecca.