Prior to Moorish settlement of old Pollèntia and continuing into the construction of medieval Alcúdia, the necropolis that served Pollèntia into Christian antiquity was covered and lost. At some point, the soil above the cemetery was deep enough to become attractive to farmers, who improved it, tended it, and tilled it. Perhaps as early as 500 years ago,…Continue Reading Ca’n Fanals: An Old Farm Sitting above an Older Necropolis
Braving assorted adventures with TSA and US and Spanish customs inspections and approvals, the UP Team took the University’s portable XRF spectrometer to Pollèntia to test the possibility of field analysis of artifacts. Dr. Ray Bard, Associate Professor of Chemistry, worked with Director Cau and Barcelona graduate student Leandro to test accuracy and precision of field…Continue Reading Chemical Archaeology
UPDATE Friday July 18 2014: This’s morning’s work has revealed more detail in the test excavation trench. The broad swath of rock once thought to be the foundation of an old wall is, in fact, limestone bedrock. The wall tentatively identified at the eastern end of the trench is clearly a wall–or the remains of…Continue Reading Test Excavation in Ca’n Fanals Reveals a Grave
Tuesday, July 15, saw all the Pollèntia research teams headed to Palma de Mallorca for a reception hosted by José Ramón Bauzà Díaz, President de les Illes Balears (Balearic Islands). The Major de Alcúdia, Dove Terrace Ventayol, met us in Palma for the reception at the Consulate of the Sea (just across the plaza from Sa Llotja and the Fabre…Continue Reading Pollèntia Teams Received by the President
Visible from most points in the Pollèntia excavation site, the Iglesia de Sant Jaume was completed in 1893, on the site of an earlier church dating to the fourteenth century. The original structure collapsed in 1870 and was replaced by the current Gothic church dedicated to Santiago, patron saint of Alcúdia. UP Pollèntia Team members attending masses…Continue Reading Iglesia de Sant Jaume in Alcúdia
At dinner on Wed July 16, Director Miguel Cao reminded the UP Pollèntia Team that we stood about a 10% chance of seeing the wall and grave from the 1920s excavation uncovered at the spot we predicted; in fact, the Barcelona group often makes several test trenches before success. Imagine our relief today (July 17) when…Continue Reading They Found the Wall! (…and a grave)
Here’s the archaeological reality: when you find pottery fragments, then you must wash pottery fragments! UP Pollèntia Team members take turns with scrub brush and water–a good opportunity, too, to discard the rocks we picked up in our enthusiasm during the prospection walk through of Ca’n Fanals. So far as of 10:30 AM on July 17,…Continue Reading Washing Prospection Findings
During our visit to Palma de Mallorca on July 15, the University of Barcelona research group, high school students in Archaeo Spain, and the entire UP Pollèntia team made a private tour of the exhibition “Zeno Brains and Oracle Stones” by multimedia artist Jan Fabre, thanks to a generous invitation from the Government of the Balearic Islands. Fabre…Continue Reading Jan Fabre Exhibit in Palma de Mallorca