Ses Païsses

Artà, Spain

Ses Païsses is a Bronze Age talayotic settlement in northeastern Majorca. It is one of the most important and best-preserved prehistoric sites in the Balearic Islands, although it is largely overgrown with woodland, mainly Quercus ilex (holm oak), making it impossible to see the site as a whole.

The Ses Païsses settlement is thought to have begun as a cylindrical talaiot, or 'turriform', built during the first millennium BC (c. 900–800 BC) on a hillside with a commanding view of the surrounding countryside. Originally it would have stood alone, probably as a territorial marker. The tower is 12m in diameter and still stands 4m tall; there are stairs within the massively thick wall, but the building's central column has not survived. Visitors to the site are not allowed to access this building.

The talaiots are Bronze Age megalithic structures on the islands of Menorca and Majorca. There are at least 274 of them. Dating from the late second millennium and early first millennium BC (between 1,300–900 BC), they are round or square structures built of rough stone, around a central space at the center of which stood a column. This supported a ceiling of stone slabs which also formed the floor of the next story. Their purpose is not clearly understood: religious or tribal ceremonies, storehouses and distribution centres have been suggested. They are not thought to have been used as dwelling places or as defensive buildings.

These monuments pre-date the taulas, which are usually found nearby. The Talaiotic Culture began some 3,000 years ago and ended with the arrival of the Romans in the Balearic Islands in 123 BC.

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Details

Founded: 900-800 BCE
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Spain

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

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4.2/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Oliver Dick (14 months ago)
Nice place, good Information, nice people. Good for warm weather as there is lot of shadow.
Markus Schertler (2 years ago)
A very interesting place of the Talaiotic Culture. It offers good descriptions and is definitely a landmark worth visiting. In my opinion even more so in comparison to other Talaiotic places like Capocorp Vell or els Antigors. If you only plan to visit one of the Talaiotic archaeological sites, go to Ses Païsses.
Peter Stech (2 years ago)
Located just 300m outside of Arta, Ses Païsses is one of the largest, most important and well preserved archaeological site in Mallorca. This talayotic settlements dates back to about 850 years BC (Bronze age, over 3,000 years old) and covers an area of more then 13,000m2. A large protected wall containing its cyclopean portal, in the interior area are various buildings build around a central structure. There is parking available, the entrance fee is currently €2 per person, there are toilet facilities, the ticket kiosk sells drinks and beer and there is picnic are with tables and benches right of the entrance.
Sandor (2 years ago)
Nicely located in a little forest. 2€ entrance fee.
Anna Mascaro (3 years ago)
You simply can’t forgo this archeological site while visiting Northeast Mallorca. It was amazing to not only learn about ancient Mallorca history, but see firsthand the remains from cultures and time periods unique to the island. I would recommend visiting with an expert guide so you can truly get the full experience.
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