A taula (meaning 'table' in Catalan) is a Stonehenge-esque stone monument found on the

Balearic island The Balearic Islands ( es, Islas Baleares ; or ca, Illes Balears ) are an archipelago in the Balearic Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago is an autonomous community and a province of Spain; its capital is ...

Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its capi ...

. Taulas can be up to 5 metres high and consist of a vertical pillar (a monolith or several smaller stones on top of each other) with a horizontal stone lying on it. A U-shaped wall often encloses the structure. They were built by the

Talaiotic culture The Talaiotic Culture or Talaiotic Period is the name used to describe the society that existed on the Gymnesian Islands (the easternmost Balearic Islands) during the Iron Age. Its origins date from the end of the second millennium BC, when the i ...

between 500 BC and 300 BC. Their exact cultural meaning remains unknown, but they probably had religious and/or astronomical purposes. Most of the taulas face south, which seems to suggest some astronomical meaning. Archeologist Michael Hoskin has suggested the taulas may have been part of an ancient healing cult. They are frequently found near

talaiot A talaiot, or talayot (), is a Bronze Age megalith found on the islands of Menorca and Majorca forming part of the Talaiotic Culture or Talaiotic Period. Talaiots date back to the late second millennium and early first millennium BC. There are a ...

s. The first author who wrote about these structures was Juan Ramis in his book '' Antigüedades célticas de la isla de Menorca'' ("Celtic Antiquities of the Island of Menorca"), which was published 1818, being the first book in the Spanish language entirely devoted to

Prehistory Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use ...

. Examples include those at Torre Trencada, Talatí de Dalt, Torrellissá Nou, Trepucó, and the site at Torralba d'en Salord.

Location

* Alfurinet * Algaiarens * Bellaventura * Biniac Vell * Binicrodell Nou * Binimaimut * Binimassó * Binisafullet *

Cavalleria ''Cavalry'' (Italian: ''Cavalleria'') is a 1936 Italian drama film directed by Goffredo Alessandrini and starring Amedeo Nazzari, Elisa Cegani and Luigi Carini. The film marked Nazzari's first role as a lead actor, after making his film debut the ...

* Cotaina * Es Tudons * La Beltrana * Na Comerma de sa Garita * Sa Torreta de Tramuntana * Sant Agustí Vell * So na Caçana Est * So na Caçana Oest * Son Angladó * Son Bernardí * Son Catlar * Son Olivaret Nou * Son Rotger * Talatí de Dalt * Torralba d'en Salort * Torralbenc Vell *

Torre d'en Galmés Torre d'en Galmés is a Talayotic site on the island of Menorca, between Alaior and Son Bou, Menorca. The town developed from the start of the Talayotic era ( 1400 BC) and expanded until the end of the Roman occupation, after which it was abandon ...

* Torrellafuda * Torrellisà * Torretrencada * Torrevella d'en Lozano * Trepucó * Sa Cudia Cremada

References

{{Reflist

External links

Megalithic Menorca. Discovering Menorca.

Guide to Menorca: Prehistory
Megalithic monuments in Spain Archaeological sites in Spain Iron Age cultures of Europe Prehistory of the Balearic Islands Prehistoric sites in Spain Iron Age Spain

Location

See also

References

External links