The S'Illot dig has provided evidence of Byzantine times.

The S'Illot dig has provided evidence of Byzantine times. | Archive

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterSant Llorenç27/04/2020 14:37
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In 2016, what was then the national ministry of development gave Sant Llorenç town hall financial assistance for a major archaeological study of the Talayotic settlement in S'Illot. An initial presentation of this research was presented at an archaeology conference in Alcudia in 2018. A fuller presentation was scheduled to have been given this month. It has been postponed, but the town hall has meanwhile released information regarding the study's results on its website.

The focus was on what is referred to as sanctuary two and on the perimeter wall of the settlement. The findings offer increased understanding of the late era of the settlement, which was much later than the pre-Roman time Talayotic culture. These findings include fragments of north African crockery and amphora jars as well as mortar and ceramic containers which had come from Ibiza. The research concludes that these pieces are evidence that there was frequent contact with the settlement in the sixth and seventh centuries, i.e. the Byzantine era.

Radiocarbon dating of the wall shows that it had been renewed but that the settlement had also been pillaged. In addition, the bones of fallow deer were found. The deer was introduced to Majorca by the Romans but disappeared from the island after the Byzantine era.